Pick A Star
by MBlackFlamesM
Summary: Naruto is from the country and Sasuke the city. The two form a friendship when they meet one summer. A friendship that later may or may not turn into something more. There is going to be slash so if you do not like that, do not read this.
1. First Friend

**This story contains M/M relationship, use of alochol, swearing, slight Sakura & Ino bashing, and some sexual themes. You have been warned.**

 **It's also an AU (Alternative Universe) so don't be surprised if some of the characters are not the same as in the actual Anime/Manga.**

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It was a beautiful day at the countryside. The sun was shining, wind blowing nicely and no cloud in sight on the big blue sky. The grass and tree branches rustled in the wind. A black car drove on the narrow road that split the fields. In the car there sat a family of four. The parents in the front while their children sat in the back.

The oldest was gazing out the window, appreciating the fine scenery and lovely weather. He turned to his younger brother who had his nose buried in yet another fantasy novel. He couldn't understand his brother and his obsession with these sort of books. Sure they were good, but he was a ten year old for goodness sake. He should be out playing and not be sitting in his room all day reading. He blames his uncle Obito and ex-teacher Kakashi that had introduced him to the books in the first place.

He sighed before turning back to look out the window. Hopefully he would be able to tear his brother away from his books once they arrived.

"We're here!" exclaimed their mother suddenly, startling the two boys.

Said siblings looked out the window as their onyx eyes fell upon a village of sorts. There weren't many houses around and most of the buildings were made out of wood and pretty small.

The youngest in the family wrinkled his nose in distaste. He hoped that the place they were going to stay at was bigger than these houses. He didn't do well in crowded places.

The car drove past the houses, what looked to be a small convenience store, an inn and clinic. They continued down the narrow road, leaving the village. The two boys turned to look at each other in confusion. Didn't their mother say that they were here? Then why were they leaving the village?

Their confusion was shortly cleared up when a house came into view up ahead.

Their mother let out a squeal of excitement and they quickly figured out that this must be the place.

When they were close enough to see how it looked like, the younger felt more at ease. The house in front of them was much bigger than the other ones they'd seen. It was mostly made out of wood that had been painted a brown color. It had a lovely front garden with different colored flowers growing on either side of the sandy path that led up to the porch.

The younger brother was rather impressed by the taste these people must have. Then again, these people were his parents' friends so they must have some. He would be rather shocked if they didn't considering his mother. Speaking of his mother, she had turned to look at him and his older brother.

There was a look in her onyx eyes that the two boys had rarely seen. Calm and serious with a hint of a warning.

"I want you to behave while we'll be staying here. The people that live here are very important to us. So be nice." The warning tone was much clearer on the last three words. Both boys nodded to confirm they had understood.

Their mother smiled before unbuckling the seat belt and getting out of the car, the rest shortly followed. They watched as their father went to the back to get their luggage before following their mother who had gone up to the house and was now standing on the porch.

She didn't get to raise her fist to knock on the door before it flew open and a woman stepped out to wrap her arms around their mother.

They watched their mother stagger back before wrapping her own arms around the other woman. The two women shortly pulled away and that's when the boys got to truly see the person their mother considered as her best friend.

She was a beautiful woman with long crimson-red hair that reached all the way down to her ankles and dark violet eyes. She wore a white sleeveless t-shirt, green shorts and sandals. Excitement and happiness shone on her fair features and she immediately dove into conversation.

"It's so good to see you Mikoto-san," she said. "How have you been? What have you been doing? Anything exciting happened lately?"

Mikoto couldn't help but let out a soft laugh at her friend's excitement. She'd missed this back home.

"I've been good. I have been doing the same old stuff, working, being a mum and wife." She shrugged. "And not much have happened, just the occasional troublesome client and of course some family problems," she explained. "What about you? Anything exciting happened?"

"Well-"

The younger brother tuned out what the crimson-haired woman had to say and instead went back to the car where his father was. He didn't say anything as he stopped in front but it wasn't needed as his father continued to move suitcase after suitcase out of the car.

"What is it Sasuke?" asked his father finally.

"How long will we be staying here?"

"A month." The man looked up when his son did not reply and saw his shocked face. "I thought your mother told you." The boy shook his head and his father sighed. "Well, now you know and there's nothing we can do about it."

"A month?" his son breathed out in disbelief. "But... But I didn't bring anymore books except for this one and two more."

"Maybe that's why your mother did not tell you," muttered his father absentmindedly.

He was about to ask what his father meant by that when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, annoyed at being interrupted but his irritation was quickly wiped away when he saw who it was.

"What is your name, sweetie?" asked the crimson-haired woman.

Sasuke ignored the nickname and answered with a blank look. "Sasuke."

"Sasuke? What a wonderful name for such a handsome young man like you."

Sasuke couldn't help the blush that crept over his face. No one had ever told him that. His mother occasionally called him sweet or cute which he did not appreciate much and then the girls at school called him smart or handsome but never said it to his face. It felt good to hear someone tell him that. And at that moment he immediately liked this woman.

"Thank you," he said with a small shy smile.

"You're welcome," said the woman with a bright smile. "Say, can you do me a favor Sasuke?"

The little boy was shocked at the woman's immediate trust in him but nodded.

"I have a son around your age and would really appreciate it if you could be his friend."

Sasuke once again was taken by surprise. He's never had friends before. The boys that he occasionally had studying sessions with couldn't really be called friends. He saw them as mere classmates. And now, somebody was asking him to be their son's friend. He felt honored and dare he admit a bit nervous. But he held his head high as he nodded and was rewarded with the biggest smile he's ever seen.

"Thank you." The crimson-haired woman then stood up and walked over to greet his father.

Sasuke was in a bit of a daze until they'd moved into the home of the crimson-haired woman. The hallway was a bit narrow with four people in it and the youngest quickly went to remove his shoes before walking into a room. The room he'd stepped into was big with leaf green walls and wooden floors. A large brown rug lied in the middle of the room, on it was a brown couch, a few armchairs and in front of it stood a small wooden table. There stood a drawer a few feet away with a small TV on it, there also were wooden shelves with rows upon rows of different books. It was a nice room, giving you a feeling of the forest and Sasuke instantly liked it.

"This is the living room, it's not much but I hope it's to your liking," said the crimson-haired woman as she led her two friends to the room.

"It's wonderful Kushina," said Mikoto with a smile.

"That's good." Kushina returned the smile and then went to another room, the others following behind her. "This is the kitchen."

The kitchen was half the size of the living room. It had white walls and black painted wooden floors. The counters, cabinets, refrigerator and oven were in colors of white and black. A black painted rectangular wooden table stood on the side with white chairs surrounding it. It reminded Sasuke of their kitchen back home, except that it was bigger and darker color wise.

 _Do they have a different themes in every room?_ He wondered. Well, there really was only one way to find out.

They were led out of the kitchen and into a small room that had to be the bathroom. Its floors were tiles in a sandy color and walls blue. The sink, toilet, and bathtub were all in a cream color. Small bottles filled with sand, different colored water and sea shells sat on the small windowsill. It didn't take a genius to know what theme this was.

Kushina then led them out, up a flight of stairs and into a bedroom. The bedroom was big with cream colored walls and wooden floors. A wooden wardrobe stood in the far right corner of the room, a double bed on the left and wooden shelf in the other corner. There were three small paintings hanging on the wall that had obviously been made by a child. One was of a red fox with blue eyes, another of a forest during autumn and the last seemed to be a portray of a family.

The crimson-haired woman then led them to another bedroom, about the same size as the other that looked the same except for the color. The walls were pale blue and floors white carpet. The furniture was mostly in colors of white with some light blue and by the window there hung pale blue curtains with white snowflake patterns.

"I hope you like it Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san," said Kushina with a warm smile.

"Oh. It's fantastic Kushina," said Mikoto a bit stunned. She turned to her husband. "What do you think, honey?"

Fugaku gave his wife a small smile before looking over at Kushina. "It's very beautiful."

"Thank you. I wasn't sure if you would like it but I seem to remember you two saying that you liked winter." Kushina looked almost embarrassed as she rubbed her arm absentmindedly.

"It's perfect Kushina. Thank you," said Fugaku because his wife seemed at a loss for words at the moment. "I've been wondering though, where is Minato and your son?"

"I'm relieved that you like it," she said before answering the question. "Out fishing. Though they should be back soon."

As if on cue, the front door opened and admitted two blue-eyed blondes. "Mum! We're home!" exclaimed the youngest before taking off his shoes and running into the house. He quickly made his way up the stairs when he'd checked every room downstairs and went to his parents bedroom. He was a bit surprised that she wasn't there either but figured she must be outside as he closed the door.

He was more than a little surprised when he turned and there was someone standing behind him. He couldn't help the yelp that escaped his lips as he lost his balance and fell down.

Sasuke looked down at the blond before him with interest. Was this Kushina's son? The blond boy looked up and he was met with the bluest eyes he's ever seen. And that's when he could tell that the features this boy possessed was all his mother. Another thing caught his eye on the boy's face and that were the odd lines on his cheeks, almost as if they were whiskers. He wondered if they were real or drawn just for fun.

Whatever the blond boy had been expecting when he looked up, a raven-haired boy around his age had not been one of them. He looked at him with curious-confusion. What was a boy doing in his house? He decided to ask him, no use in wondering and trying to figure it out for himself.

"Who are you?" he asked trying not to sound rude but knew that he must've failed because of the look on the other's face.

Sasuke was honestly surprised by the unfriendliness in the other's tone. He couldn't help but glare at the other boy before he answered in the same tone. "Uchiha Sasuke."

The blond boy frowned at the last name. He'd heard that somewhere before. Then it hit him. "Ah! You must be Mikoto-san's son."

"I am." Sasuke didn't know why he was confirming it but he felt like it was needed. "So, are you going to tell me your name or what?"

The blond frowned at the other. What was this kid's problem? Sure, he had sounded rather rude when asking who he was but there was no need to give him the cold shoulder. Whatever the hell that meant.

"I'm Namikaze Naruto," said the blond before he stood up. He noticed then that he was just slightly shorter than the other boy, which irritated him a little.

Sasuke couldn't help but snort with laughter.

"What's so funny?" asked Naruto, crossing his arms over his chest.

Once the raven had calmed down a little he said, "Do you mean "Naruto" as in Narutomaki?"

The blond was still confused. What the hell was this kid talking about? "No. I mean "Naruto" as in the main character of "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi"."

Now it was the raven's turn to turn confused. "You mean you're named after a fictional character from a book?"

The blond nodded.

Sasuke thought that that didn't sound so bad. Being named after a fictional character sounded pretty cool actually. He then realized how impolite his reaction to the name had been and quickly went to apologize but never got a chance to open his mouth to utter the words as the adults came towards them.

"Welcome back Naruto. How did the fishing trip go?" asked Kushina her son who looked up and smiled the biggest smile at seeing his mother.

"I'm back. And it went well. We caught five fishes! I caught three of them by myself!" he said with enthusiasm. He then noticed the other two adults and boy standing by his mother.

He immediately recognized Mikoto and Fugaku from the pictures his parents had of their school days. The boy standing beside them he could only guess was their oldest son, Tachi or something along those lines.

He immediately walked towards the small group and held his small hand out. "I'm Namikaze Naruto and welcome to our home Mikoto-san, Fugaku-san, Tachi-san."

The three Uchiha smiled at the young blond before each shook his hand. When it came to Itachi he bent over so he was at the blonde's level. "My name is actually Itachi," he said and the blond blushed a little for getting it wrong. "But I wouldn't mind it if you called me Tachi."

Naruto smiled at that. "Okay Tachi-san!"

Sasuke frowned at the blond who was getting all mushy with his family. He didn't like it. And it made the dislike for the blond grow when Itachi gave him permission to call him by the same nickname Sasuke had years ago. He had stopped only because it had sounded rather silly. His brother's name was Itachi after all and not Tachi.

The two families shortly moved downstairs where the older blond was preparing dinner inside the kitchen. He smiled at his two friends and introduced himself as Minato to the Uchiha brothers before he went back into making the meal. The Uchiha family and Kushina went to the living room to talk. And the two Uchiha brothers and Naruto decided to go out. Well, technically Itachi and Naruto decided to go out, Sasuke just tagged along because he had nothing better to do.

The blond led the two brothers to a large red wooden house that the boys had totally missed. And that's when they heard the sound of chickens and cows along with a rather nasty smell. Itachi didn't comment on the foul stench but that didn't stop Sasuke from complaining.

Naruto didn't care for Sasuke's comments, mostly ignoring the boy. Instead he continued to lead the two brothers to look at the chickens and cows. They didn't stay for long as the blond could tell that Sasuke wasn't the only person who seemed uncomfortable. He led the two boys then to the forest and down a path until they came to a lake.

The raven had never smelt such a stench before. It was beyond unbearable and he didn't waste any time to complain to the blond about it. But it seemed that his comments were in vain since the other boy seemed completely unaffected by his words. He wondered if he was used with people complaining or if he was purposely ignoring him. The second thought made his blood boil and he couldn't help but draw his brows together in yet another frown.

Thankfully they didn't stay in that ill-smelling place for more than five minutes. The blond then decided to take them through the forest. Sasuke didn't know if he should be happy for the smell being gone or irritated for being led into a forest. Now don't get him wrong. Sasuke loved the forest, but there were times when he wanted nothing more than to be in his own room reading than out in nature.

His irritation did not last for very long though when they arrived at a vast lake, surrounded by many trees. His breath was stolen in that single moment as he stared open-mouthed at the place. He was abruptly pulled away from his thoughts by something cold and wet hitting his skin. He yelped in surprise and looked up at the accusing culprit.

The blond was standing in the water, his blue pants having been rolled up to his thighs and sandals left on the shore. He was grinning at Sasuke in a way that made said raven's irritation bubble up again.

"What was that for?" asked the raven shooting him a glare.

"That," began Naruto, pointing a finger at the raven. "Was for scaring me earlier."

"I didn't do it on purpose!" yelled the raven. "Not my fault you're such a scaredy-cat."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

In Naruto's anger he cupped his hands, stuck them in the water and threw said liquid on the other boy. He watched in satisfactory as the raven-haired boy let out another cry of surprise.

"Hey! Stop that!" yelled Sasuke as he tried to get rid of the water but the blond just threw more at him. "Stop!"

"No!" yelled Naruto as he continued to throw water at the other.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to give into the anger that he had tried to suppress. He stomped forward and without warning tackled the blond into the water. Of course, by doing so he also got wet but at the moment he didn't care.

"What did you do that for?!" yelled the blond as he wiped some liquid off his face.

Sasuke noticed then as the other boy wiped some of the clear liquid off his cheeks that the whisker marks must be real. Anger completely forgotten he decided to ask about them. "What are those strange marks on your cheeks?"

Completely taken aback by the question the blond couldn't help but just stare at the other boy. He was shortly brought back from daydream land when his name was being called and a hand was in his face. Pushing the hand away he looked into the frowning face of Sasuke. For a moment he had forgotten why they were there in the first place until he remembered.

"My great-grandfather Uzumaki Kurama had them. Mum says I inherited them from him."

"So... They're like a birthmark?"

The blond shrugged. "I guess."

Silence followed that remark. A silence neither boy was really comfortable with so they decided to get out of the lake and go back to the house.

They didn't notice Itachi standing on the shore with his hands in his pockets and a big smile on his face. _This trip is going to be fun,_ he thought.

…

When the three boys got back Mikoto and Kushina immediately sent the youngest to the bathroom to wash up and change clothes. While they were in there Itachi had a fun time telling the adults of what happened.

"What are they talking about out there?" asked Naruto out loud when he heard loud laughter coming from the other side of the door.

"I wouldn't know," muttered Sasuke and shrugged off his shirt. He was cold but refused to shiver in front of the blond as he continued to take off his clothes as the tub was slowly being filled.

The blond hummed as he went to take off his pants. He then curiously looked up at the raven and saw something interesting.

"What's this?" he asked and without much more of a warning put his palm on the other's skin.

"What are you doing?!" yelled the raven, pushing the other's hand away. He took a few steps back and a bit more for good measure just staring at the blond before him who was looking right back innocently.

"What? I was just wondering about that scar." Naruto frowned down at his fingers and then looked back up at the raven. "You're cold."

Sasuke didn't know what to do so he just sighed and decided to answer the question. "I fell down from a tree when I was seven."

"What were you doing in a tree?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

The blond could understand that so he didn't push the other. They spent the rest of their time in the bathroom in silence. Well, for the most part since Naruto couldn't keep his mouth shut for more than two minutes.

When they got out of there clean and dressed it was time to eat. Over dinner they talked about sleeping arrangements and apparently the adults had decided that it would be a good idea to place Sasuke in Naruto's room. The blond wasn't overly thrilled and neither was the raven and he was not afraid to say anything about it unlike Naruto who kept his mouth shut for once.

Sasuke tried to change their minds but it seemed like they were dead set on this decision. And so, the two boys soon found themselves going up the stairs and to the blonde's room. The raven was muttering under his breath on how unfair it was. The blond felt a little sorry for him but was also hurt. This was the first time he would be sharing with someone after all.

He pushed the feeling of hurt aside for now and put on forced smile. "Well, here we are," he said with an enthusiasm he did not feel.

Sasuke stopped his muttering and looked up when he heard the blond speak. He watched the blond open the wooden door as it revealed a room that had his eyes widen and mouth fall open.

The bedroom he stepped into was beautiful. Yes, beautiful was defiantly the word he would use to describe it. The walls were sky blue with fluffy white clouds that had been painted on and the same wooden floors as most rooms had. A double bed stood on the far right, with a wooden drawer standing next to it. A white painted wardrobe, desk and chair stood on the opposite side.

Sasuke was once again stunned into silence. He wondered if he's ever been amazed so many times in just one day. Probably not.

"I see that you like it."

The voice of the blond slightly startled the other from his thoughts and he turned to look at him from where he stood. He wondered then whether he should be honest or deny that his breath had literally been stolen away for the second time that day. He decided finally that honesty would be best now. If they were going to sleep in the same room then it would be better if they got along.

"It's amazing. I have never seen a room so full of... Life."

Naruto smiled at that. He was happy that the raven seemed to like it. He honestly had been a bit afraid that he wouldn't.

"So, where am I sleeping?" Sasuke decided to ask.

"On the bed with me," said the blond with a smile.

The raven blinked a few times. Surely he must've heard it wrong, but it didn't seem like the other boy was joking as he continued smiling.

"I'm sleeping... In the bed... With you?" he said slowly, almost choking on the words.

The blond nodded, seemingly oblivious to the other's discomfort. "Mum couldn't find any more spare mattresses, so this seemed like the only solution. Is that a problem?"

Sasuke was about to open his mouth and say that of course it was but shut it immediately. Why was it a problem really? They were kids so obviously there shouldn't be one, but Sasuke had a teenage brother and Naruto didn't so he knew of things that someone his age probably shouldn't. The curious things his brother told him sometimes, and the strange magazines that he'd found under his brother's bed.

He internally shuddered at the pictures he'd seen in there. They would forever haunt him.

"I promise I won't disturb you. I'll stay by my side of the bed." Determination shone in the blonde's blue eyes and Sasuke couldn't help but smile a little. This kid was so weird.

"Alright. Let's get to bed then. I'm tired." And just to prove his point a yawn escaped from his lips before he could stop it.

Naruto smiled before getting ready for sleep.

The two boys were now lying there on the bed in the darkness. The blond was long asleep and would mutter something or another in his sleep every so often. Sasuke on the other hand was still awake. He was tired but seemed unable to turn his brain off and go to sleep. So he just laid there in the mostly silent room, staring up at the ceiling.

He didn't think that any of this seemed real. That he wasn't truly at the countryside, lying in someone else's bed and that that "someone" could maybe become the very first friend the other has ever had.

Sasuke felt movement beside him and some muttering from the blond. He turned to look at said blond and couldn't help but smile at how peaceful he looked. He instinctively reached over and placed a hand on the other's marked cheek. It was warm and he felt a strange surge of something course through him. He couldn't quite decipher what it was and for the moment, he didn't really care. It was only a few moments later before the raven had closed his eyes and fallen asleep.


	2. Worry not, I'm fine

**Thanks for the reviews.**

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When Sasuke woke up it was to sunlight pouring into the room and someone breathing in his ear. He tried to get up but found that he could not move. Wondering what was holding him back he slowly peered his eyes open only to look into the face of a blond boy. Confused, he wondered why a blond boy was sleeping in his bed. And that's when everything came back to him.

His parents, brother and him going to the countryside. Meeting the lovely Namikaze Kushina that he's heard so much about from his mother. Admiring the rooms of the house as Kushina showed them around. Him scaring a blond boy that's the same boy who's sleeping beside him. Or as the raven squinted at the tan arm swung over his body, half on top of him.

Sasuke reached over and carefully lifted the arm from his being. He then slipped out of the blanket and tip-toed out of the room, slowly closing the door from behind him. He wasn't exactly sure what the time was as he went down the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. He walked into the room and up to a counter where a big green bowl sat, filled with different types of fruit. He grabbed an apple and bit into it before walking out.

The raven went to the living room where he'd left his book. He picked up the large volume with the picture of a lion's face on the dark cover before he opened it to where he'd left of.

He did not know for how long he sat there but knew that it must've been for quite some time. He could finally hear the others waking up as he listened to the thuds and chatter amongst the adults. His parents followed by Kushina and Minato were the first to arrive. He stopped reading when they came in and greeted them all before going back to his book.

Itachi came down just a few minutes later as the Namikaze cooked breakfast. Though when breakfast was done and there was still no sign of Naruto, Kushina made it her mission to go and wake up her lazy son.

As the raven took a seat opposite of his brother he couldn't help but wonder what they would be doing today. His question was shortly answered when the red-haired woman came back followed by her yawning son.

"I thought of going down to the village today," said Kushina as she sat down. "I hope that's okay with everyone?"

"We would love to accompany you," said Mikoto with a warm smile.

Sasuke wanted to open his mouth and tell his mother that he did not want to go. But as if sensing her youngest son's intention, Mikoto shot him a look that made him shut his mouth.

After breakfast everyone went to clean up before going out. The walk to the village was pretty short and the group were soon greeted by both old and young people. Many of them seemed to know who the Namikaze were because Kushina and Minato were stopped frequently by people asking them of their well-being.

Naruto quickly got bored and saw that he wasn't the only one as he glanced over at the raven. An idea struck him then and he went to his mother.

"Mum," he said to catch her attention before continuing. "Can I go to Shikamaru's?"

Kushina looked to be in thought before she gave an answer. "You can go..." Naruto smiled. "But only if Sasuke comes with you."

The blonde's smile didn't falter as he gave her a gesture that said "okay" before he turned and went over to the raven.

Sasuke watched the blond jog up to the red-haired woman and say something to her. He saw her nod and the blond gave her a thumbs up before he turned and went over to him. Confused, Sasuke stopped walking as the blond stopped in front of him, bearing a wide smile. He told him that there was a change in plans and without much of a word grabbed his hand as he began pulling him away from the adults.

He let himself be dragged by the blond as they walked down the sandy road. They took a left turn and then a right until they arrived at a wooden house half the size of the Namikaze residence.

Naruto let go of his hand and walked up to the porch with confidence. He knocked three times and then waited patiently for someone to open. It took only a few minutes for it to open to reveal a woman. The woman looked to be no older than Sasuke's mother with long dark brown hair that was tied in a low ponytail and dark eyes. She had a serious, kind of stern-looking face like his father wore most of the time when she first opened the door. But just like his father's face at times, the strictness melted away when she saw that it was Naruto who had knocked.

"Good morning Yoshino-san," said the blond cheerfully with a smile.

"Morning Naruto-kun," greeted the brunette with a smile of her own.

"Is Shikamaru home?" The woman's smile faltered a little and Naruto knew what that meant. "Ah. He's still sleeping I take it?"

"Yes," said the woman with a tired sigh while rubbing the back of her neck. "And I don't have any time to get him up. I will need to leave soon for my shift."

"No worries!" exclaimed the blond. "I'll get him up!"

"Thank you Naruto-kun, you are too kind." Yoshino then looked up and saw Sasuke who was standing behind Naruto looking a bit out of place. "Who is your friend?"

The blond turned around and smiled at the raven who looked at him with a mask of indifference. "This is Sasuke. He's here with his family on a trip. His parents and mine are really good friends, you see."

Yoshino nodded and then turned to the raven with a warm smile. "How do you do Sasuke-kun?"

The raven had been a bit lost in his own words so the question caught him a bit off guard but he quickly regained his composure and answered. "I'm well. And you?"

"I will be once my lazy ass son is out of bed."

The raven's eyes widened in shock at the brunette's crude language and looked over at the blond to see his reaction. Naruto, however, seemed rather unfazed by the use of the word and that just made Sasuke wonder what was wrong with the blond, or this woman for that matter.

The two boys then went in, or more like Naruto went in and Sasuke just followed. They went up the stairs and to a closed door which the blond opened without knocking.

"Shikamaru! I've come to visit!" exclaimed the blond.

Sasuke stepped to the side to have a look in the room. It was pretty barren compared to the rooms he'd seen at the Namikaze residence. It had soft green walls and wooden floors. The only furniture were the bed, a drawer standing next to it with a lamp light sitting on top and wardrobe.

There was a rustle coming from the bed as the blanket fell down on the floor, revealing a boy their age with black hair. Narrowed black eyes came to look first at Naruto and then him before he lied back down with a huff.

"Come on!" exclaimed the blond before making his way over to the boy on the bed and grabbed him by the arm. "It's time to get up. Up, up, up, up!" each time he said "up" he tugged the other by the arm until he was in a sitting position.

The boy glared at his blond-haired friend who met the look head on. They stayed like that staring at each other for a while until the dark-haired boy sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat. The blond feeling satisfied nodded with a smile on his face. "Now get your lazy ass out of bed." Once again the raven's eyes widened as his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline at the blond using such a word. "We'll be in the kitchen for the time being. If you are still not up in ten minutes I'll have to do what I did last time." And with that, the blond turned and walked out of the room.

Sasuke followed behind the blond out of the bedroom, down the stairs and into a small room that somewhat resembled a kitchen. The two boys took a seat by the small square table as they waited for the boy to come down.

After a few minutes of silence the raven decided to ask the question that had been bugging him until they've left the room. "What happened last time?"

"Hm?" the blond who had been drawing circles on the wooden surface looked up curiously at the other.

"That boy-"

"Shikamaru," interjected Naruto before he could continue, making him growl at being interrupted.

"Fine then. Shikamaru... What did you do to him last time?"

The blond grinned in a certain way from ear to ear making the raven want to take back what he had just asked.

"I poured ice cold water on his head last time."

The raven's eyebrows rose. "You – You did what?"

"I poured water on him," he said with a light shrug.

It took the raven a little while before he could form any words. "Why?"

"He wouldn't get up and so the idea just came to me." He shrugged again.

"Wasn't he angry?" he asked curiously.

"Oh yes. Very. In fact, he went as far as to threaten me." The raven raised an eyebrow, inquiring him to continue. "He told me that if I did that again, then he would give me a bruise that would make The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero proud."

"The Red Hot – What?" asked Sasuke with a confused frown.

"The Red Hot-Blooded Habanero," repeated the blond and then saw the other's confusion. "You've never heard of that name before?" the raven shook his head and the other couldn't help but grin a little. He was about to open his mouth and tell him all about that person when he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. "I'll tell you later." He received a disappointed look from the other and couldn't help but feel a bit bad.

When Shikamaru was down they left the house and went to another where another one of the blonde's friends lived. The boy who lived there was quite husky in comparison to the rest of them but unlike the classmates the raven had in his class who walked around, using their size against others to bully the weak. This boy wasn't anything like them. He was quiet and a bit shy, with an air of kind-calmness that the raven liked. Sasuke didn't get to introduce himself fully until they went to the third house where they met a boy with messy brown hair, followed by a white puppy.

The five boys and dog then went to an open field near the forest where they began playing silly games like: Kick the can, duck, duck, goose, and I spy.

Sasuke would never admit it but he quite enjoyed himself. He had never thought such childish games could be so much fun. If he had known, then he would've gone out more often. Or maybe it was just fun because Naruto was there. Well, whatever the reason may be, he didn't care for the moment as he continued to enjoy himself until it was time to say goodbye.

That night both boys had trouble sleeping as they lied there in bed talking about all the stuff they did. Well, Naruto talked and Sasuke mostly listened.

Sleep shortly came as the blond ran out of things to say and the raven shortly followed. Both their dreams were filled with laughter and sunlight as they ran around in an open field, being chased by faceless children.

The next few days passed much in the same matter till one day the sky was filled with grey clouds and rain poured from the heavens. The adults and boys decided not to go out as they sat in the mostly silent building watching TV, reading or playing cards.

Kushina suddenly came into the living room with a frown marring her face. Mikoto immediately caught the look and asked what was wrong. It turned out she didn't have the ingredients to make dinner and needed someone to go out and buy some.

Naruto immediately put his stack of cards on the table before he went up to his mother and told her that he would go. Kushina smiled down at her son but was reluctant to send him out in the rain alone. Itachi said he would go with him which made Sasuke look up from his book.

He wondered if he should go as well. He hadn't been feeling that well that morning and was feeling even worse now. But he determinedly put aside those feelings as he put his book aside and stood up.

The trip to the store was not long and they soon arrived. Itachi went and grabbed a basket before he pulled out the folded piece of paper Kushina had given him. He told the younger to go and fetch one of the things that was written there as he walked around to look around the shelves for the other things that were needed.

About five minutes later he felt someone abruptly grab his jacket and tug it. The teenager looked down and into the golden locks of Naruto before said boy looked up to meet his gaze. His breathing was labored as if he'd been running and face flushed crimson. That was not what most alarmed the other though, it was the tears swimming in the other's eyes.

He quickly kneeled down in front of the blond and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's wrong Naruto-kun?" he asked and looked around to see if his brother was there. When not finding his younger sibling behind the blond he felt his alarm increase. "Where's Sasuke?"

"Sa... Sasuke... He..." began the blond hiccupping between the words as the tears fell. "He... He... Collapsed..."

Itachi was on his feet in a second as he quickly asked the blond to show him where. Naruto immediately did so, leading the older Uchiha past shelves until they arrived to where the young raven was lying.

Itachi crossed the space between them in record time before kneeling next to his younger sibling, putting the basket on the floor as he did so. "Sasuke... Sasuke can you hear me?" he asked as he felt around his younger brother. His forehead was warm and breathing uneven. He received a grunt in response but couldn't get a verbal answer as the raven slipped back into unconsciousness.

The older Uchiha felt a little useless but put aside such a feeling as he scooped up his brother in his arms. He then asked Naruto to grab the basket as they quickly finished up shopping and returned home.

Sasuke was immediately taken to Naruto's room when they arrived. Kushina finished dinner and they ate but did so with less enthusiasm than usual. The blond scarcely ate anything, leaving early and went up the stairs to sit with the raven.

He occasionally grabbed the towel that had been folded and placed on the raven's forehead, dipping it in the bowl filled with cold water before dabbing it on his warm skin. He then dipped it back in the water, wrung it until there almost was no water left in the fabric before folding and placing it back on the other's forehead.

He sat there for a long time until the sun went down, casting a golden glow in the room before it completely disappeared in the horizon and the moon came up to take its place.

Naruto woke up a few hours later to darkness. He rubbed at his eyes sleepily and then looked down at the still sleeping raven. It was difficult to see, but the blond thought he looked better. He reached for the folded towel and was a bit startled when a hand shot out, capturing his wrist as he tried to pull away. He let the towel drop to the side of the bed when he looked up and saw half-lidded onyx eyes regarding him with slight curiosity.

"Sasuke?" he asked in a low tone.

The raven opened his mouth to say something but got nothing out except for a cough. He went to get up but was pushed back by a hand on his chest.

"Stay here," said the blond. "I'll go and get you something to drink." And with that the boy turned and left.

He came back just a few minutes later with a glass of water. Sasuke was sitting up in the bed when he walked in. He carefully gave the glass to the raven and watched him drink it all down before he turned to him and asked what happened.

"You collapsed in the store," said Naruto.

The raven looked away and closed his eyes trying to remember anything from earlier that day. He only got as far as when they left the house to go into the rain before he got interrupted.

"I was so scared..."

He opened his eyes and looked up at the blond. Tears flowed down the other's marked cheeks making the raven stop and stare at him in confusion.

"You suddenly just... And I didn't know... What to do..." said the blond between hiccups. "I – I just knew... I had to get you to... to Tachi..."

Sasuke didn't know how to react to that. He just sat there, staring at the blond uselessly for a moment until he realized that he needed to do something. He moved to the side and then patted the space next to him, silently asking Naruto to come sit with him. He soon was joined by the blond who had dried some of his tears.

The raven was once again at a loss on what to do. He remembered his mother when he was younger. Pulling him in close for a hug whenever he got hurt, telling him it was going to be alright. Was that how he was supposed to do this? He shrugged mentally, he could at least try.

He reached over and put an arm over the blonde's shoulders. That seemed to spring the other into action because before the raven knew it he had his arms filled with the blond boy. He tensed up for a moment but eventually relaxed and lazily wrapped his arms around the other. Instead of whispering comforting words on how everything was going to be alright like his mother did, he told the blond that he was fine over and over again.

It didn't take very long for the two boys to fall asleep and as morning came, neither noticed the person standing in the room with a camera in hand.


	3. This Isn't Goodbye

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The next couple of days Sasuke spent mostly in bed with only his books and occasionally Naruto's talking for company. He got scolded by his parents for getting pneumonia, mostly by his father. But he understood the reason behind it and just accepted the tongue-lashing, hanging onto every word.

Once he was deemed healthy enough to go outside, he didn't hesitate to follow the blond as they made their way to the village.

A few hours later the five boys and dog were lying on the grass, looking up at the sky. They had been playing a lot, chasing each other across the field and hiding from one another. It had been fun. Now they were taking a break doing what Shikamaru liked to do the most, watching clouds.

"When will you be going back, city boy?" asked Kiba suddenly. He didn't seem comfortable with calling the raven by his first name for some reason so he mostly called him by that nickname.

Sasuke sat up slowly and thought about it for a moment. He then came to realize that it was just a little over a week he had left and told the other exactly that.

"About a week?" the brunet mumbled to himself as if he were in deep thought.

The raven didn't ask him what he was thinking and just lied back down on the grass. A couple of minutes later the kids parted to go home for lunch.

"I was thinking of going to a beach that's close by and have a picnic," said Kushina suddenly, catching the attention of everyone at the table.

"That sounds like an excellent idea," said Mikoto with a smile. "What day did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking tomorrow would be good. I heard that the weather is supposed to be really warm."

The two women continued their talk as the male resumed eating silently. When Naruto and Sasuke were done they went to the living room. The blond seemed to have something he wanted to show the raven.

Naruto walked up to the shelf filled with books and reached for one of his absolute favorites before handing the novel over to the raven.

"What's this?" asked Sasuke but didn't wait for an answer as he looked at the cover. His eyes lit up in recognition of the title before he looked up at a smiling blond. "I take it you want me to read it?"

The blond nodded. "Just so you get an idea on who I was named after. Oh! And I should also tell you that the author of the book is my godfather."

"Really?" the raven was honestly surprised as he looked up at the blond with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah."

The next day the Uchiha and Namikaze prepared themselves for the picnic. Food was cooked, placed in boxes and then put in the basket.

The young blond and raven packed their swimming trunks and towels in one bag before bringing it down to the hallway where stuff was gradually gathering. They then went to the living room where they spent the remaining minutes reading in silence.

…

"Wow," breathed out Sasuke in astonishment at the view.

They had just arrived and the Uchiha instantly fell in love with the green grass, sandy shore and beautiful lake. The beach wasn't big which suited them just fine and no one else was around at the moment which was an added bonus.

They settled themselves on the grass close by a tree that provided them enough shade to cover most of the orange and white blanket Kushina had just laid out. The Uchiha and Namikaze shed their clothes, revealing their swimsuits they had put on earlier.

The young boys, Mikoto and Kushina went into the water while Minato and Fugaku watched. They were soon pulled in by their wives and had swimming competitions between each other.

Both Sasuke and Itachi were honestly shocked at their father smiling and having fun with an old friend. It made them able to see the kid they'd seen in the photo albums from when he was young. It was honestly a bit... Disturbing.

They played around and swam for hours, by then a handful of people had joined them. It didn't take long for their stomachs to growl and bodies to tire. They went back to shore, up to where the blanket and basket filled with food lay. Once they'd eaten all lied down to relax and enjoy the view.

Naruto and Sasuke were the first to leave as they made their way to the pier. They got a call from their mothers to be careful which they just smiled and waved at. They didn't stop walking until they reached the end of the pier.

They sat down beside each other and watched the water from a distance. The sounds of the waves hitting shore and wind blowing was relaxing.

Naruto turned and smiled at the raven whom he considered as his best friend. Said raven was looking back at him with a small smile gracing his lips. It seemed like ages ago since the day the Uchiha had come to the Namikaze – when in reality it was about three weeks. They felt like they've known each other longer. And Naruto could honestly not imagine a life without the raven and neither could the other with the blond.

So, they decided to make these past few days unforgettable.

The upcoming three days they went out and played with the other children. On the fourth day Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Minato and Fugaku went fishing. The younger boys caught a few fishes while the adults' hooks mostly came out of the water empty.

On the fifth day Naruto's uncle Jiraiya came to visit and he told stories on where he'd gone this time along with other things that may not have been considered as "child friendly". On the sixth day Naruto and Kushina went to the barn followed by a reluctant Sasuke. Besides the smell it had been pretty fun chasing the chickens and milking cows. He wouldn't mind doing it again sometime.

And then finally the day before the Uchiha would leave arrived. It was already noon and parents – excluding Kushina – weren't home at the moment. It seemed the boys' uncle had gotten into an accident and they wanted to make sure he was alright.

Naruto and Sasuke sat in the blonde's room on the bed playing cards. Neither of their hearts really was in the game though as they thought about tomorrow.

Finally the blond had had enough and put his cards down before looking up. The raven looked up to meet the other's intense gaze. A silence passed between them before the blond started speaking.

"You know…" he stared of nervously, scratching the back of his ear. "About tomorrow…"

Sasuke interrupted him before he could go any further. "I'm leaving. I know."

Naruto flinched at the word "leaving" and had to avoid the other's gaze as he spoke again. Needing to get these words out before it was too late. "I'll miss you." He hadn't intended for his voice to sound so sad, but he couldn't help it.

A silence followed and he refused to look up to see the other's expression. He had to though when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He brought his eyes up only to look at the same sad expression he knew he was wearing. But there was something else there. An emotion he often saw on his father or mother's face. It was fondness.

"I'll miss you too," said the raven sincerely, his voice no louder than a whisper. He squeezed the other's shoulder before letting his hand fall and grab the other's hand. He felt the tanner hand clasp his own and they sat there until Kushina called them down to eat.

...

It was evening when the others came back and all went out to the back garden to eat under the stars. When they finished they sat down on blankets Kushina had laid out and looked up.

Kushina was sitting with Minato's head in her lap. Mikoto and Fugaku were sitting beside each other, the black-haired woman's head leaning on her husband's shoulder. Itachi had gone into the house right after dinner for a good read and then sleep. And the two boys were sitting on a blanket beside them just watching the starry filled sky in awe.

The silence that had taken over was interrupted by the blond. "That star is my favorite," he said and pointed up.

Sasuke looked up and at the direction he thought Naruto was pointing at. He brought his own hand out, his index finger out. "That one?" he asked, pointing at one of the bigger stars.

The blond shook his head. "No. That one. The one that's a little bit to the left."

The raven brought his eyes over to the left and had to almost squint at the star he saw there among the rest. "It's so small." He looked over at the blond who was smiling.

"I know."

"How come your favorite star is such a small one?"

Naruto leaned back, hands behind his head before answering. "I like it because even though it's tiny compared to the other ones. Once you're able to see it, you can't unseen it."

The raven scrunched up his face in confusion as he looked back at the sky. He wondered what the blond meant but quickly understood when he truly looked. Even though the star was tiny in comparison to the others, he could not seem to "unseen" it like the other had put it. It was there. And even though it was small, it shone as brightly as all the other ones.

"Pick a star."

Sasuke turned to look at Naruto, slightly startled by the question. "What?"

The blond sat up. "Pick a star." He sighed when he was still met with onyx eyes filled with confusion. "Pick a star that you like the most."

Onyx eyes looked away from blue as they gazed up at the sky. The raven had no idea which one to pick. He was contemplating on choosing the biggest one but that seemed like a very obvious answer. So he looked on for a bit longer until his lips pulled up in a small smile when he found it.

"That one," he said, pointing at a star to the right, far away from Naruto's star.

The blond looked and smiled when he saw the small star. One to match his own.

Silence washed over them as they continued to gaze at the stars. Naruto was the first to break the calm as he looked between the two stars. "They kind of remind me of you and me."

The raven glanced at him, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Your star is far on the right while mine is on the left. You live in the city and I in the country. They are kind of like us."

Sasuke smiled slightly at that looking back up, glancing between the two. "I suppose your right."

They sat for a bit longer until their parents told them it was time to go to bed. As Naruto lied there under the covers beside the raven who was already asleep, he thought about tomorrow. He didn't want Sasuke to go but knew that he must. He belonged with his family, in the city, just like he did with his in the country.

He thought about other things until his eyelids felt too heavy to keep open and he fell into a peaceful slumber.

The next day Naruto thought the morning passed a little too fast and before he knew it he was standing in front of his house to say goodbye to the Uchiha. He looked at Sasuke who looked at him with a mix of many emotions before he set his face in a mask of indifference.

Naruto suddenly felt nervous. The words he'd rehearsed earlier seemed to have escaped him. Even though, he cleared his throat and took a deep breath before he started speaking.

"I want to give you something Sasuke."

The raven shot him a confused look as he reached into his front pocket and pulled out a pendant with a small turquoise stone attached to the black string.

"It belonged to my grandmother who gave it to me on my sixth birthday, a year before she passed away." He stopped to let the words sink in before he presented the pendant to the raven. "I want you to have it."

A million different thoughts were running around Sasuke's head until he finally said, "I can't accept it."

The blond luckily had expected the raven to say that and knew that if he insisted then he would still turn him down. So he decided to go with another method. "Alright. Fine. Then I'll give this to Tachi-san instead. Maybe he'll-"

He didn't get farther than that as the raven reached over and snatched the pendant from his hands. He didn't hesitate as he put the string over his head before looking up at the blond.

Naruto just smiled at him.

A silence then fell over the two as they just stood there, staring at each other. Finally, Sasuke stuck out his hand for a handshake.

"I'll really miss you," he said.

The blond only glanced at the offered hand before he took a few steps forward and wrapped his arms around the other. Sasuke took a little while to react before his own arms came around the blond. When they pulled away, Naruto could feel his eyes watering but kept his smile on. Not wanting the other to see how much this affected him.

"I'll miss you too," he finally said. "Though you don't have to worry. We can send letters to each other. Just because we live far away from each other, doesn't mean we can't keep in contact. And when I'm older, I'll come after you. That's a promise."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile at that. "I'll be waiting then."

And with that, the Uchiha got into the car and Fugaku drove them off. Naruto watched until the car was nothing more than a black dot in the distance. And that's when he let the tears fall.

Unknown to him, Sasuke was shedding similar tears. Even though they were sad to say goodbye, they knew they would see each other again.

And when would that be?

Only time could tell.


	4. Stars Reunite

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A small bus was driving down the sandy road on the countryside. There were only two people in the vehicle, the bus driver and a man. The man was sitting two seats away from the bus driver, a black and blue suitcase stood by his feet as he gazed out the window. He was wearing a white t-shirt, blue jeans that had been ripped at the knees and an orange hooded jacket.

"Where're ya headin'?" asked the bus driver casually.

The man turned to the front of the bus, blue eyes regarding the old man for a minute before he answered. "I'm heading to the city to see a friend."

"I see." The driver was quiet for a minute. "Is it you're first time goin' to the city?"

"Yes."

"Are ya nervous?"

The man took a minute to answer. "A little."

The old man nodded, understanding the other's feelings. "I was too when I first sat on a bus going to the city. I thought goin' to a new place was scary. But once there, I realized I had been scared for nothin'. Sure, it has its flaws, but mostly it's an amazing experience."

The man nodded, smiling a little as he listened to the driver talk about his experience. He ran a hand through his blond locks and down one of his marked cheeks as he continued listening.

"Since this will be the first time you're goin' to the city. I take it has been a while since the last time you saw your friend?"

The blond nodded. "Ten years to be precise."

"That's a long time. Are ya still keepin' in contact?"

"Yes. However, I didn't tell them I was coming."

The bus driver chuckled lightly. "I see. So you're gonna surprise them?"

The blond smiled. "Yes."

"I hope it turns out well."

"Me too."

A few hours later around noon the scenery had changed from trees and open green fields to both tall and smaller buildings. The blond was in awe and when the bus stopped he grabbed his suitcase, thanked the driver and then stepped out.

A gust of wind blew in his face, ruffling his hair and clothes as he looked at the place in complete admiration. The city was big, bigger than he'd expected. After he was done gazing around the place he pulled out a piece of paper that had instructions written on it.

He read a few lines before putting it back in his pocket and started walking, dragging the suitcase behind him.

Half an hour later the blond found himself in front of a tall building that he knew to be called an apartment. He went into the building and into the elevator, pressing the button for the third floor. In only a matter of seconds was he at his floor and he walked out.

He stopped in front of one of the doors and pulled out the paper to make sure it was the correct place. Once he'd made sure he put the piece of paper back in his pocket and then reached over to ring the bell. He could hear muffled voices coming from the other side of the door – a male and female he was sure of.

The voices stopped when the ringing sound of the bell went off. He could hear faint footsteps and then the sound of someone unlocking the door before swinging it open.

A man around his age with spiky red hair and pale green eyes stood before him. The blond would admit this guy was pretty hot but now was not the time to think about that kind of stuff. He shook his head, ridding himself of the thoughts before he started talking.

"Hello, my name is Namikaze Naruto. A few weeks ago there was an ad on the net that you were looking for a roommate."

The red-head regarded him with a look that made him feel slightly self-conscious. He seemed to have found what he was looking for because he smiled and stuck out a hand that the blond immediately took.

"The name is Sabaku Gaara. It's nice to meet you Naruto."

"And you Gaara."

They pulled away and the red-head stepped to the side to let the other in. As soon as Naruto was inside he immediately took in his surroundings. The hallway he stepped into was narrow but could easily fit in two maybe three people. A black rug lied by the door with big white letters that read "welcome," one of the walls had coat hooks that had at least one jacket hanging there. There also was a small round wooden chair that stood in a corner.

The blond immediately felt at home and he didn't hesitate as he followed Gaara to what he assumed was the living room. When he first stepped in his blue eyes immediately landed on the person who was sitting on the couch in the middle of the room. It was a woman a few years older than him with sandy blonde hair and teal eyes.

"This is my sister Temari," said the red-head as he walked up to the woman. "Temari, this is Naruto. He's my new roommate."

The woman stood up and in a few strides crossed the space between them, her hand already out before he could react. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too Temari-san," he said with a smile and shook her hand.

"Where are you from Naruto?" she asked once she'd retracted her hand.

"I live by a small village in the countryside. This is my first time in the city."

"Oh, and how do you like it so far?"

"So far so good."

"That's good."

There was a pause before Gaara turned to the blond and gestured to the armchairs and couch. "Shall we?"

The blond nodded and went over to sit down. They talked a bit about the expenses and Naruto said he would get a job as soon as possible. They talked about some rules that the blond found to be good. When they came to the conversation about lovers and no sex was to be allowed the blond just chuckled at this.

"That won't be a problem. Believe me when I say it'll take a while before I find the guy to suit my taste." He was met with silence and twin looks of complete surprise. It took him a moment to realize what he had just said and hastily added, "I hope that won't be a problem-"

"No," said Gaara before he could finish. "I would be a hypocrite if it was."

Naruto just smiled at that before they continued. They talked about sleeping schedules and the blond mentioned that he usually got up early. He also told him he could sleep through mostly any type of sound as long as it didn't involve his mother and a wooden spoon held to a pan. They shared a laugh and then continued down the line.

They spoke about chores, that the one who cooks doesn't have to do the dishes seemed rather fair. The blond said he didn't mind vacuum cleaning or dusting and neither did the other so there one could switch if they wanted to. And as for washing clothes, Naruto didn't want to brag but he was quite good at it. His mother had taught him what she do around the house on a daily basis as soon as he had turned thirteen. It was at times a boring job but cleaning also had these strange moments when it was kind of relaxing and dare he say fun.

They talked about sounds then, of music, humming, singing, whistling etc. Anything that would drive either one of them mad. The blond just shrugged, having no problem with either as long as the music wasn't on too loud or the singing false he was fine.

Then they had a conversation about allergies that was over before it began. Naruto had nothing that he knew of and neither did Gaara.

After their talk and to check that everything was in order the red-head led the blond to his room. Naruto took in the cream walls and wooden floors with the single bed standing against the wall and a small nightstand beside it. It was very plain but the blond knew that that would change quickly as soon as he had officially moved in and unpacked.

He walked over to the bed, dragging his suitcase over and then sitting down. He heard the red-head say something about food before the door closed, leaving the blond to his own thoughts. He lied back down and stared up at the ceiling.

He couldn't believe he was here, in the city. He shut his eyes as a smile graced his lips as he thought about his friend. The same friend he hasn't seen in years. He wondered how much they'd changed. Would they even recognize him?

As he thought about these things before he knew it his eyelids had dropped and he was asleep. He was woken up an hour later by Gaara shaking his shoulder, telling him it was time to eat. The blond smiled and got up as he followed the red-head to the kitchen.

A couple of days later the blond had officially settled in and had gotten a job as a waiter at a café called Sakuranoki. The place was well known for its cherry pies. Naruto felt at home in the place since they had sweets that could rival his mother's and the staff were really nice.

He quickly became friends with a high school student who works part-time there named Konohamaru and his friend Kaede who's a waitress.

On the fifth day he sent an e-mail to his friend's mother, asking where her son worked. It turns out he doesn't work anywhere yet, but his brother did. And it seemed that the younger would be there the next day

On that day Naruto went to work early, stayed there for a couple of hours until it became four. He then left, said goodbye to the staff members and went out, on his way to Uchiha Cooperation.

When he arrived he was more than a little stunned at the size of the building. It was _huge_. He didn't idle for very long outside as he walked up to the front, pushing the glass door open and strolled inside. The inside was spacey with white tiled floors and light grey walls. And that's all the blond managed to take in before he stood in front of a desk where a woman with long red hair that was tied into a ponytail sat.

He cleared his throat and the woman looked up, crimson eyes regarding him critically behind brown spectacles. "Yes?" she asked.

The blond didn't react to the look the woman gave him and just smiled. "Hi. I was hoping you could help me. I'm looking for Uchiha Itachi."

The red-haired woman raised her eyebrow in question at the name of her boss. "Do you have an appointment?"

He shook his head. "No. And I don't need one." He spoke confidently which both confused and irritated the woman. Who did this guy think he was? But whatever his business was it wasn't any of hers as she reached for the plastic black phone and dialed a number. She exchanged a couple of words with the person on the other side before ending the call.

"I'm sorry, but he's in a meeting right now."

"Oh, that's fine. I'll wait." And with that the blond strolled away from the desk and to a nearby bench where two women stood close by talking to each other.

He sat down and removed his jacket, folding it before placing it on his lap. He sat there in silence for a few moments until his ears drew to the two women who were discussing something rather interesting.

"He's just so handsome and his brother isn't half bad either," said the woman with pink hair.

"I agree," said the woman with pale blonde hair. "I wonder how it would be like to have them as your boyfriend."

"Probably amazing. I mean, Itachi-san is such a gentleman, kind and caring. And Sasuke-kun – _god_ he's so handsome – while he's cold and quiet I feel like that there's a sensitive side of him. A side that is quite lovable."

"Yeah. What I wouldn't wish to have them as my boyfriend."

"Me too."

Naruto tried, but he couldn't help to chuckle at the women. They seemed to have heard him because they turned to look at him, or rather glare.

"What's so funny?" asked the pinkette.

"Nothing. It's just that you talk about the Uchiha brothers as if you know them when in reality you don't."

The pale blonde woman took a step forward, a plastic mug of some steaming drink in one hand while her other rested on her hip. "Who do you think you are?"

"My name is Namikaze Naruto, and I come from the country."

The two women sneered at him in disgust but said nothing. He raised an amusing eyebrow, smiling at the two women.

"What?" finally asked the pinkette when the blond hadn't ceased staring at them.

"Aren't you going to introduce yourselves to me?"

"Why should we?" asked the blonde.

"Because if you don't it's considered rude. And I know someone who would highly disapprove of that sort of behavior from their staff members."

The two women didn't need clarification on who the blond was referring to as they introduced themselves.

"I'm Haruno Sakura," said the pinkette flatly.

"Yamanaka Ino," said the blonde with the same tone.

"Alright, nice to meet you then." _Or not,_ he thought when he saw the expressions they wore.

He looked away from the two women for a moment but had to look back when one of them asked him a question.

"What are you doing here?"

"Frankly I don't see how it's any of your business, but it seems you're curious to know so I'll tell you." The blond glanced over at the elevator where he knew the two Uchiha would step out from and then looked back at the two women. "I'm here to see Itachi."

Sakura and Ino looked at him for a few seconds before they burst out laughing. He must've been joking, surely. But as they calmed down and saw that the seriousness in the blonde's blue eyes hadn't wavered it was hard to tell.

"You're serious," said the pinkette in slight shock.

The blond simply nodded and flashed the two a small smile.

"What's your business with Itachi-san?" asked the blonde next.

"Again, my business is my own. But since you asked and your boss won't be coming down any time soon I might as well entertain you by answering. I am actually here to see Sasuke."

"And what makes you think Sasuke-kun is here?" asked Sakura with a slight smirk.

"Because his mother told me he would be," he said simply with a light shrug.

A silence followed that statement as the two women stared at the blond. He couldn't be serious. But there was no indicating that he was lying. It was all so very confusing that neither Sakura nor Ino knew what to ask next.

Several minutes of silence later Ino finally asked, "How did you come to know them?" If he couldn't answer that question with something that sounds plausible, then she would call him on it.

"Our parents knows each other. They were friends all the way back in high school. The Uchiha decided to go on a trip for a month to visit us and that's how we met."

Once again, the two women were stunned into silence. Their parents knew each other? No way. Unbelievable. But again, there was no proof in his eyes or posture that he was lying. Sakura and Ino turned to each other and when their eyes met both were thinking the same thing, _who is this guy?_

"You're lying," finally said Sakura.

Naruto's head snapped at that accusation and his smile dropped. "It's sad that you think so because I'm not."

"I agree with Sakura. There's no way Itachi-san or Sasuke-kun would associate themselves with someone like _you._ "

The blond felt his anger flare up but quickly pushed it down and said, "Well, if you don't believe me then how about this?" He stopped to see if he had the two women's attention before he continued. "Let's make a bet. If I'm really lying then I'll treat you ladies to dinner at any restaurant you pick. But if I'm not, then it'll be you treating me and anyone who's with me."

Sakura and Ino shared a glance before they nodded and each shook the blonde's hand. There was no way they were going to lose.

Half an hour passed before the elevator doors slid open to reveal two men. Two men Naruto knew pretty well. Even from a distance he could tell who was who as he watched them stroll up to the desk and talk to the red-haired woman.

He glanced over at Sakura and Ino that looked like they'd already won. How wrong they were. He stood up, walked a few feet away from the girls and without hesitation called out to the two brothers.

When their eyes met there was first silence. Then the youngest of the two brothers stepped forward, onyx eyes not wavering from the blond. He stopped once he was standing a few feet away from the other.

"Naruto?"

The blond nodded with a smile on his lips and before he knew it, the raven had wrapped his arms around him. Naruto's smile grew bigger before he wrapped his own arms around his friend. And as they stood there hugging, he could hear in the background the two women sputtering indignantly.

 _I think I won the bet._

* * *

 **Sakuranoki - Cheery Tree**


	5. Old Friends and New Enemies

**Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

Sasuke and Itachi stepped out of the latter's office and strolled over to the elevator. The younger pressed the button to go down and in a matter of seconds the doors slid open. They stepped in and his brother pushed the button to go down.

"So, what would you like for your birthday?" asked Itachi as soon as the doors closed.

"Not this again." The raven sighed.

"You need to decide soon. There's only two weeks left."

"I know."

There was a small silence till the oldest asked, "Have you heard from Naruto?"

The raven shook his head. "He hasn't responded in weeks."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I just hope nothing has happened."

"Me too," said Itachi and patted his younger brother on the shoulder.

The doors then slid open on the first floor and the two brothers walked over to the desk where one of his brother's employers worked. The raven tuned his brother and woman out as he looked up at the ceiling.

However, his attention snapped back when he heard his name being called. He brought his onyx eyes down and froze as they locked onto a familiar shade of blue.

He stood there for a few minutes, just staring at the man with the same golden-blond hair as his friend. Finally some part of his brain told him to move. He took a couple of steps forward, stopping when he was but a few feet away from the strange blond.

"Naruto?" he asked. He was still a bit in shock but his voice was full of wonder. Was his friend really standing before him? He saw a smile grace the other's lips shortly followed by a nod. And that's when he didn't care if this was an illusion or if he was dreaming as he took the remaining steps and flung his arms around the other.

He felt the blond return the hug almost immediately. They pulled away a minute later and that's when Sasuke asked him what he was doing here.

Naruto just smiled warmly at the raven before he said, "I'm here to fulfill my promise."

The raven smiled back. "Well, now that you have. What are your plans now?"

The blond shrugged. "I don't know. But I think we can find something to do."

"Who said anything about "we"?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at him but didn't say anything. He didn't need to either as Itachi strolled up to join the two.

"I hope I'm not forgotten?" he asked with a slight twinkle in his eyes.

"Of course not," said the blond with a small smile and walked up to give the older Uchiha a one-armed hug. They pulled away a few seconds later and that's when they noticed they were being watched.

They shared a look with each other and decided to leave. Before the blond did however, he turned to the still stunned Sakura and Ino. "Meet me at Ichiraku Ramen tomorrow at six." He then turned and followed the Uchiha brothers out.

"What was that about?" asked Sasuke curiously.

"I made a bet with the girls and won."

"Oh? What was the bet about?" asked Itachi with a smirk.

"Well…"

…

The two Uchiha brothers and Namikaze walked down the streets talking. The blond shared that he was living in a shared apartment and had a job at a cafe.

"Quite ironic that I met someone named Sakura when I work at a place called Sakuranoki."

The comment made both brothers chuckle and then they began to share what they've been doing. Itachi was on his way to take over Uchiha Cooperation and had done a fairly good job so far. He also was engaged to a woman named Kagayaku Kokoro and they were to marry this fall.

Sasuke on the other hand wasn't doing much. He had no job and wasn't seeing anyone at the moment. Though he was going to college studying to become an architect.

Naruto was interested in hearing what he did and listened intently at his every word. He lost concentration when they stepped into the restaurant and the wonderful smell hit his nose like a tidal wave.

They sat down at a table at the back by a window. The place looked rather charming. Its walls were a nice shade of dark brown and floors wooden. The square tables and chairs were in black and white. And the only light in the restaurant – apart from the sunlight – were the soft light the scented candles provided.

A waitress came over right after they had sat down, giving them the menu. She then turned to leave them to decide on what they wanted.

A couple of minutes later they had decided on something and Itachi called the waitress over. They gave her their orders and then turned back to each other to talk once she'd left.

"She was eyeing you," said Naruto looking at the raven who was sitting beside him.

"You don't say," retorted Sasuke sarcastically.

The blond was silent for a moment, just looking at his friend with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"No. I'm wondering if it's a common occurrence for women to glance your way. Or talk about you behind your back."

Sasuke was about to open his mouth to answer but then the waitress came to their table with the drinks they'd ordered. Itachi and Naruto thanked her with a smile while Sasuke just nodded his thanks, barely meeting her eyes. Hurt flashed across the woman's face though she quickly covered it with a smile but not quick enough for Naruto's keen eye.

"You hurt her feelings," he whispered to the raven.

Sasuke took a sip of his drink before he said in a nonchalantly voice. "I see."

"You're so cold," remarked the blond and the raven shrugged. "Are you like this towards everyone?"

"Everyone I don't know, or don't have an interest in knowing."

The blond could understand that to a certain degree, but… "You don't need to be an ass to people that don't deserve it."

Sasuke looked up in slight surprise. It had been a long time since anyone last insulted him. It in a very odd way felt quite… refreshing. He couldn't help his lips turn up in a small smile. And he seemed to be in such a good mood that when the waitress came over with the food he smiled up at her, though he still did not thank her verbally.

Once the waitress had left the men to enjoy their meal, conversation picked up again as they ate.

"So, what does your roommate do? Gaara was it?" asked Itachi.

Naruto nodded. "He's a bartender at a nightclub. Kokushin I believe it was called."

"I know that one," said Sasuke. "I go there every Friday with my friends."

"Really?" asked Naruto and the raven nodded. An idea then popped up in his head, making him grin. "Would you mind if I tag along next time?"

"Not at all." _It may actually get a lot more interesting._

"Great! I'm looking forward to this Friday."

 _Me too,_ thought the raven with a slight smirk.

The next day Naruto woke up early as usual to go to work. Hours later at five-thirty he left the place with a smile plastered on his face and hand wrapped around his phone. He sent Gaara a text to meet him at Ichiraku's for dinner before making his way over there.

When he arrived at the small restaurant his smile grew wider into a grin when he saw the two women he'd met the other day. He walked up to them and greeted both politely. "Hello ladies."

Ino was the first to respond as she smiled politely back at the blond. "Hello." Sakura shortly followed with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"My friend will be here shortly. Shall we go in meanwhile?" he asked kindly.

The girls shared a look with each other before Ino nodded. "Sure."

The three went in and the smell of the restaurant immediately hit them. Naruto's mouth immediately began to water by the wonderful smell of soup and noodles as they walked to a table by the window.

The blond had come here once before with Konohamaru and Kaede. The place wasn't as nice as the restaurant he had gone to with the Uchiha brothers but to him it was perfect. It had cream walls and wooden floors. The tables and chairs were wooden with white table cloths covering the surface. There also were framed pictures of paintings hanging on the walls with different types of scenery.

A waiter came over to their table as soon as they had sat down and gave them the menu before leaving.

There was a short silence before Sakura put down the menu and leaned forward. "So, how long have you known Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto looked up and into the smiling face of the pinkette. The blond knew though that the smile was nothing but fake. She didn't want to be polite or even friendly with him, she was just being like this because she wanted to know more about Sasuke.

 _Well,_ thought Naruto _. Let her have it then._ "For ten years," he said simply.

"That's a long time," said the pinkette. "You must know him pretty well then?"

 _More than you,_ he thought with an inward smirk. "I guess so."

"Would you know then…" the pinkette trailed off, sounding unsure how to continue, "…what kind of women he likes?"

 _Getting straight to the point are we?_ "He has honestly not said anything about that. We usually don't talk about that sort of stuff."

The two women seemed shocked at this type of news. Didn't boys usually talk about girls? The pinkette and blonde didn't know what to say for several minutes. They didn't need to though as Gaara shortly arrived.

Right after they had ordered Ino got an idea and nudged her friend before standing up. "I need to use the bathroom."

Sakura understood right away and stood up as well. "So do I," she said and followed her friend.

The two boys watched the women go. Naruto leaned over to whisper to the red-head once he could no longer see them. "I bet they're discussing their plan."

The red-head raised a non-existent eyebrow at the blond. "What plan?" he asked.

"A plan to get me to tell them about Sasuke."

"Your friend?" the blond nodded. "Why?"

"They apparently have a crush on him and his brother."

There was a slight pause until Gaara asked, "So, what do you think their plan will be?"

"To seduce us," the blond said simply.

The red-head couldn't help but smirk. "Then they can try all they like."

The blond gave a smirk of his own. "Yeah, this will be fun."

When the women came back the men noticed a change immediately in their character. They started talking about their lives, something the men weren't too interested in but listened closely nonetheless. They also smiled and bit their bottom lip in a way that a straight man could've considered as sexy. But to Naruto and Gaara these women possessed no such thing as sexiness.

When food arrived most conversation ceased but there were snippets of it and one question made the blond halt in his eating.

"So, are you seeing anyone at the moment Naruto?" Sakura asked.

The blond looked up and into the slightly hopeful green eyes before he answered, "Not at the moment no." He watched as relief mixed with smugness washed over her features and he felt like adding: "But I hope to find a guy suitable for my taste." He didn't though, wanting this to last for a bit longer before he dropped the bomb.

"What about you Gaara?" asked Ino next.

Gaara just shook his head and resumed eating. After they had finished the two women paid as promised. Before the men could leave the pinkette and blonde stopped them.

"We are… sorry for not believing you the other day," said Sakura and Naruto inwardly snorted, not believing her words for a second. "And we were wondering if you'd like to hang out sometime?"

There was hope shining in her eyes. But that hope was not directed at him. It was directed into knowing more and maybe even get close to Sasuke. Well, if they wanted to get close to him all they needed to do was be honest and just ask him. If there was one thing the blond knew about the raven, it was that he hated people that are fake and liars.

Naruto shared a look with Gaara before turning to the two women. "I'm sorry, but we aren't interested."

Sakura's face fell but Ino took a step forward, determined not to let this chance slip away so easily. She gave the boys her best sexy look before putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"If you want, we can go somewhere and have a bit of fun." The tone of her voice was low and husky.

The blond took that as their cue to tell these women the truth. "I'm sorry ladies. But me and my companion would rather screw each other than you."

A silence followed his statement. A silence that lasted for five long minutes. The two women stood there gaping at the two men. It couldn't be... Were they... Are they...

"You're gay?" asked Sakura finally.

Naruto smiled and shrugged. "I'm afraid so."

The two women looked at the men in front of them. Ino removed her hand from the blond and took a few steps backwards. Their plan had been ruined and neither knew what to really do or say. They didn't need to do anything though as the blond told them he'll be seeing them before he and his friend left.

Sakura and Ino stood there for a few minutes, thinking about what had just happened before they straightened their thoughts out and left.

Naruto and Gaara arrived at the apartment moments later. They both strolled into the living room and took their seats on the couch. They hadn't talked about what happened. Now though as they sat alone in their apartment they only needed to share a glance with each other before both burst out laughing.

It took a while for them to calm down. The red-head was the first to say something and his demeanor – Naruto noted – seemed much calmer than before.

"That truly was funny," he said for once sounding cheerful. It was nice, the blond thought. The red-head had seemed so tense and stiff to him it was nice to see him so relaxed.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed with him smiling. "It was."

The two then began talking about other things. Things like work, friends, guys and family.

A shadow crossed over Gaara's features as he began talking about his family. It seemed that when he told his father he was gay he got kicked out. His father told him not to come back until the "gayness" as he called it was gone.

"I'm sorry," said the blond as he placed a hand on the other's shoulder.

"It's okay," said the red-head. "I mean, it was hard at first but it's much better now. I have a job that I enjoy, my siblings and friends so I'm fine."

The blond smiled at that, glad that the other had someone to confine in. When he had confessed that he was gay to his parents it had been scary. But unlike Gaara, his parents accepted it. They had both been surprised by the admission but neither loved him any less.

After that, he had told more people like his friends. Shikamaru hadn't cared one bit, Kiba had been suspicious for a while, and Choji had been shocked but not against it. And when he'd written to Sasuke about it, the raven had not cared one bit whenever he liked men or women and had even shared that he was pansexual.

Naruto was lucky to have so many good people in his life that he felt bad for those that don't have them. It made him want to help those in any way he possibly could.

He shook his head, ridding himself of these thoughts as he continued to listen to Gaara talk. His smile never wavering.

* * *

 **Sakuranoki - Cheery Tree**

 **Kokushin - Black Needle**


	6. Kokushin

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Use of alcohol.**

* * *

The next couple of days passed by in a blur and before Naruto knew it, Friday was here. He woke up relatively early, not needing to go to work until later. He took a twenty minutes long shower washing his hair and body with apple-scented soap before stepping out.

He walked into his room with a towel tied around his middle and another drying his hair. He stopped in front of the wardrobe he'd bought a couple of days ago along with the drawer it was standing next to. He opened the doors once he'd deemed his hair to be fairly dry and picked out his outfit for the day.

He untied the towel around him and began dressing. The last item he put on was a black short sleeved jacket with a blue shadow of a wolf howling at an imaginary moon sewed onto the back. He looked into the mirror one last time to see that nothing was out of place before he stepped out of the room and strolled to the kitchen.

"Good morning," he greeted Gaara who was sitting by the table having a cup of some steaming hot beverage and reading the newspaper.

"Morning," greeted the red-head back, looking up from the paper. "What have got you into such a cheery mood today?"

Naruto smiled at the red-head. "I'm going out with a bunch of people later today."

"Well, that explains it then," he mumbled and took a sip of his tea. "Where are you going?"

The blond put his finger in front of his lips as he winked. "That's a secret." He then resumed making breakfast as Gaara just shook his head with a small smile.

…

"Can I take your order?" asked Naruto the three girls sitting by the table.

One of the girls immediately gave her order – a brunette with amber eyes – before any of her friends had a chance to. "I would like a strawberry shortcake and a vanilla mocha." She flashed him a smile that he returned before writing it up on the small notepad he carried. He then looked back up once he was done at the other two girls.

"A chocolate milkshake would be nice," said a girl with short blue hair and bright green eyes. The blond wrote down her order and then turned to the last one – a black-haired girl with red-rimmed rectangular glasses and violet eyes.

"A – A chocolate c – cake and c – cappuccino," she stammered.

"Are you nervous?" asked Naruto absentmindedly as he wrote down the order.

"Oh no. Mariko-chan always stutters. She has something called neurogenic stuttering," said the bluenette as she put her arm around her friend. Said friend's face had turned scarlet from embarrassment and she avoided the blonde's eyes as she started speaking.

"I – I'm sorry if – if my stuttering is bo – bothering you."

The blond shook his head. "It's alright." He smiled at her which made the black-haired girl forget her earlier embarrassment and let out a breath of relief. "I'll be back with your order soon," he said and then turned to walk away.

He gave the order to the people working at the back and then came to the front where Konohamaru stood.

"Naruto-niichan," said the boy with a grin gracing his lips as he looked at the blond. He glanced over at the table the blond had just come from and then back at said man. "Those girls are looking this way."

"I see," said the blond in disinterest as he waited for the order to be done.

It was quiet for a moment and feeling eyes on him Naruto looked up. Konohamaru was looking at him strangely.

"What?" he asked when the starring was making him feel uncomfortable.

It took a few minutes for the boy to answer. "What is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean?"

A sigh. "Every time I mention girls you seem so... indifferent about it. Are you really not that interested, or is there something else?"

Before Naruto could get a word in a voice interrupted him. "Naruto-san is not interested in girls because he's gay." They turned only to see Kaede standing there, her long teal hair tied up in a high ponytail. "Isn't that right Naruto-san?"

The blond couldn't help but smile at the girl and when he glanced over at Konohamaru he couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on his face. The brunet was looking between the girl he had a crush on and the blond whom he saw as an older brother with shock clearly written over his face. His mouth was even hanging open.

"Close your mouth Konohamaru-kun before you catch flies," said Kaede in a lovingly manner that made the brunet shut it immediately. He then turned to face the blond.

"How come you didn't tell me?" he asked and before Naruto could say anything he continued. "If I had known you liked guys I wouldn't have brought up the subject on girls."

"Well," began Naruto. "You never asked until now when you could clearly see my lack of interest." The brunet nodded, agreeing that he was right. "And then I didn't get a change to say anything because a certain someone interrupted me." He made sure to look at Kaede who just smiled at him.

"You're welcome," she said and then walked to the back.

"So," began Konohamaru tentatively. "You would have told me?"

"Of course," said the blond truthfully with a small smile.

The brunet seemed to relax when he was the smile. He then took a step forward and leaned in slightly. "Then what about that guy sitting alone by the window?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Oh, shush you." He pushed him away and went to the back to see if the order was done. All the while smiling.

…

At seven-thirty Naruto left the café to go to the apartment and change his outfit. He had texted Sasuke earlier asking him what he should wear and the raven had suggested something casual would be just fine.

So that's why he was standing in front of the mirror comparing what shirt looked good with what jacket and pair of pants.

In the end, he settled for a pair of blue jeans that were ripped at the knees, a white sleeveless shirt and orange jacket with a bit of black. As the final touch he added a silver chain necklace, a black leather bracelet on his left wrist and a bit of eyeliner around his eyes.

He'd talked to Gaara to show him how to put it on and after a few tries he'd gotten it down. When he looked back into the mirror he couldn't help but grin. It was perfect.

He glanced at the watch on his nightstand and was surprised when it read eight-fourteen. Had it really taken him that long to change? Shaking his head he grabbed for his phone, wallet and keys before he walked out, on his way to Kokushin.

…

The first thing he noticed when he got closer to the nightclub was the thumping sound of a really loud heartbeat. He surveyed the place once he got there, looking for a familiar raven. When he didn't find him he strolled over to a wall he could lean on and crossed his arms over his chest as he observed what the people close by were doing.

There was a gay couple not too far away from him seeming to devour each other's faces and clawing at one another's clothes. A group of girls stood in front of the nightclub wearing bright colored clothes that showed a lot of skin. They were talking to a guy standing by the front doors that the blond assumed was the bouncer. He distinctively caught a couple of words that one of the women yelled at the guard but didn't bother to understand what was going on there. Another group – this one all guys – stood by a wall a couple of meters away smoking and talking.

One of the guys looked up and met his eyes. The guy gave him a wink that the blond just rolled his eyes at.

He stood there waiting for what seemed like forever before a familiar voice reached his ears and he turned. Sasuke walked forward for a hug that the blond returned. They pulled away a few seconds later so that the raven could fully take in the blonde's outfit.

"You look great," he said after a moment of studying his friend.

"Thanks." Naruto smiled and then took in the raven's outfit.

He was wearing a dark blue shirt, black jeans and jacket. He wore a leather collar around his neck and had a silver ring in the form of a snake on his right forth finger. He also noticed that Sasuke also had some eyeliner.

"So do you," he returned with a smirk.

"You must be Naruto."

Said blond turned to his left only to look into the palest eyes he's ever seen on a handsome brunet. The guy wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a pair of dark grey – almost black – pants.

The blond nodded in confirmation of his name before stretching a hand out to the brunet. "Namikaze Naruto."

The brunet accepted the handshake. "Hyuga Neji."

The introduction then continued from person to person until everyone had exchanged their greetings and they went into the club.

"Wow," breathed Naruto out when he stepped into the place.

The place was huge with high ceilings and lights that ranged from white, red, blue and purple. The floors were wooden and walls black. The dancefloor only had a handful of people dancing while most sat by the dark-colored tables or comfortable-looking red couches. The bar was just a couple of feet away from the dancefloor where the blond immediately spotted a familiar red-head.

He walked up to the bar and when Gaara spotted him he stopped to stare in surprise for a moment. He quickly masked it though as the rest of the party slowly made their way to the bar, already placing their drink orders.

Gaara and the woman who was working next to him started mixing drinks. Naruto watched transfixed by the different colors and couldn't help but ask about the drinks' names.

One of the drinks was a liquid that was completely black served in a shot glass. They called it "Black Needle," because the feeling you get when drinking it is like a stinging sensation. Another one was a blue liquid that looked like it was swirling with different shades of blue. It was served in a stemless wine glass and they called it "Spiraling Sphere." The last drink looked like magenta in the light while in the darkness it looked more like a raspberry-red. It was served in a martini glass and was called "Hell Realm" for some reason. Gaara's only answer to Naruto's confusion was that it gave you one hell of a headache.

The three that had come with the raven – Neji, Tenten and Suigetsu – left the bar to go mingle with the other people. Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke ordered drinks that had a low alcohol level. Neither wanted to get really drunk and forget themselves.

Both surveyed the room from the bar. Naruto was eyeing the dancefloor, wondering whenever he should join them or not. As he thought this, he caught the eye of one of the people dancing. It was a bit difficult to make out how the person looked like in the dim light but he was pretty sure they had short straight dark brown hair and black eyes. And of course, it was a man.

He watched the guy move their hips back and forth with the music. His arms moving around in both a silly and endearing way. Their eyes locked again and this time the guy held his gaze until the music stopped.

"I see you've spotted Sai."

The voice of Gaara surprised Naruto as he turned to the red-head. "Sai?" he asked.

"The guy you were eyeing," said the red-head simply.

The blond looked back at the dancefloor where the man known as Sai was now dancing with a woman with long messy light green hair. The blond wasn't that bothered that the guy had turned to someone else and just leaned on the bar with his drink in hand. He then noticed that Sasuke was no longer sitting beside him.

"Where's Sasuke?" he asked.

"Your friend went out for some fresh air while you were ogling Sai."

The blond thanked Gaara and downed the rest of his drink before he got up from his seat. He then made his way outside where Sasuke was standing, leaning against the wall with a cigarette between his teeth.

"I didn't know you smoked," said Naruto as he made his way to stand beside the raven.

Sasuke took a drag and blew the smoke out of his mouth before he answered. "I don't really. Just sometimes."

The blond understood that and yet he didn't as he continued watching the raven.

"What happened to the guy you were looking at?"

The blond shrugged. "He seemed to have gotten bored of me and went dancing with a girl."

That earned him a smirk.

"So," said Naruto after a couple of minutes of silence. "I heard your birthday is coming up."

The raven groaned, making the blond look at him strangely.

"What?"

"Are you going to pester me with questions about what to get me too?" he asked with a grimace.

The blond shook his head. "No."

Sasuke sighed in relief. "Thank you. I'm not sure I can take one more person."

"Family and friends are being annoying?"

"Very."

"I know the feeling."

They shared a smile with each other. A silence settled over them where Sasuke finished his smoke, dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

"Shall we go back in?" asked the raven turning to look at the blond.

Said blond smiled. "Sure."

The next hour was spent drinking and talking about random stuff. At one point Neji and Tenten came over to join them. Naruto watched Sasuke as he interacted with his friends from afar, how relaxed and happy he seemed.

He also noticed another thing as he looked over at Gaara who was sneaking glances at Neji every few minutes. The blond looked at the red-head until he noticed he was looking his way.

"What?" asked Gaara.

Naruto leaned in so not to be heard by the others. "I see you have the hoots for Neji." When he pulled away he was grinning.

Gaara glared at the blond to cover up his embarrassment for having been caught. Naruto just continued grinning until the others noticed him and asked what was up. In answer he put his index finger in front of his lips like he had that morning and winked.

"That's a secret."

* * *

 **Kokushin - Black Needle**


	7. Coming of Age

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Use of alcohol and wet dream ahead.**

* * *

The upcoming days before Sasuke's birthday Naruto spent his time working, occasionally teasing Gaara about liking Neji and his issues about the raven's present. He had a few in mind but didn't know if any were something the raven would appreciate. Then again, the raven would probably like anything he got for him. As long as it wasn't sweets, or anything in bright colors.

On a day two days before his friend turned twenty-one a sudden thought hit him like a lightning bolt striking down onto earth. Thankfully the though hit him after he was done with work and on his way back to the apartment.

When he arrived he called home where his dad picked up the phone.

" _Hello Naruto. How are you doing son? Is everything alright?"_ Naruto smiled at hearing his dad's voice.

"Hey dad. I'm good. How are things back home?"

They exchanged a couple of words with each other before the blond asked his dad why he'd called.

" _You want me to go to your room and look through the letters you got from Sasuke?"_ asked Minato sounding confused. _"Whatever for?"_

"I remember something Sasuke mention in one of the letters," he explained. "I think I also know in which box it might be in."

" _Alright. Which one?"_

He smiled and gave the number.

He heard the sound of shuffling feet and Minato's soft breathing. A door opened and closed before the voice returned. _"Where do you keep them?"_

"Under the bed."

He heard some more shuffling and then the sound of paper to indicate that his dad had found them.

" _What am I looking for?"_

Naruto's smile turned into a wicked grin as he answered.

* * *

"Naruto-kun! Oh, it's so good to see you!" exclaimed an excited Mikoto before she threw her arms around the startled but happy blond.

He returned the hug, patting the woman gently on the back. "It's good to see you too." They pulled away so that he could get a better look at his mother's best friend. She wore a dark violet long dress with no sleeves and black heels. She looked as beautiful as she had when he had first met her and wasn't afraid to say exactly that.

She laughed, delighted at the compliment. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you to say." She then regarded him for a moment. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Naruto had chosen to wear something semi-formal to the party. He wore a white button down shirt, black slacks and an orange tie. He hadn't bothered with any accessories this time.

"Well, let's not stand out here until summer ends. Come in." Mikoto then went back into the house and into a room where he could hear distant chatter and laughter.

He stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. The hallway was much bigger than the one back home or the apartment, then again, probably everything was bigger when it came to the Uchiha. It had nice cream walls and white tiled floors. A wooden shelf for hats and hangers below it for coats or jackets were to his right. A mirror hung to his left where he looked at his reflection to see if anything was out of order. When he found none, he just shrugged and walked in.

He went into the same room Mikoto had disappeared into. It was a wide room, the walls were painted a soft grey color and floors wooden. There was a black couch in the middle of the room resting on a white rug. A big TV with a flat screen stood only a couple of feet away from it on a wooden table with shelves where they kept their DVD player and gaming consoles. He also noticed that when he looked more to his right there was a small bar where he saw Mikoto, Fugaku and a small group of people he did not recognize.

It only took Mikoto a moment to notice he'd walked in. She gestured for him to join them and he did so without hesitation. When he was standing in front of the parents of his raven-haired friend he smiled.

"Hello Fugaku-san," he greeted the stern-looking man and held out a hand for a handshake.

Fugaku took it with a smile of his own that completely transformed his face. "It's good to see you Naruto. I reckon you've been well?"

"I have." Naruto retracted his hand shortly after that admission. He could feel eyes on him and turned to his right where the people he'd seen Mikoto and Fugaku talking to look at him. "Hello," he greeted politely with a small nod of his head.

A woman with short straight brown hair and brown eyes was the first to respond to his greeting. "Hello. My name is Nohara Rin." She wore a casual sleeveless black dress and black heels. She had only one piece of jewelry on her being and that was the silver chain with a flower attached to it that was decorated with small purple and green gems.

"It's nice to meet you Rin-chan. I'm Namikaze Naruto." He held out a hand for her that she took.

"Ah. You must be the so-called friend Sasuke has been talking about all these years," said a man with short spiky black hair and onyx eyes. The blond assumed that this man must be related to the Uchiha because he looked so much like them.

"I don't know. Am I?" said the blond with a small, teasing sort of smile.

The black-haired man responded with a smile of his own. "Funny." He then walked up to the blond whom noticed he was only slightly taller than himself. "The name is Uchiha Obito. Sasuke and Itachi's uncle." He held out a hand.

Naruto accepted the hand and then turned to the last person in the group. The man before him was regarding him with a bored expression. He had spiky silver hair and dark eyes. On his left eye he had a small scar running across it. He wore something similar to what the blond was wearing except much more formal. He also had a simple gold band on his left forth finger.

The blond knew who this man was, Sasuke had at times talked about his godfather – Hatake Kakashi – whom read the books his godfather Jiraiya wrote. The raven hadn't said much about him. Just that he was an easygoing guy, a teacher, and a fan of the Icha Icha series.

The silver-haired man had still made no move to greet the blond until he got a shove from Rin. He sighed and stepped over to the blond like it was a hassle.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. Godfather of Sasuke and Itachi," he said in a lazy drawl.

"I know," said Naruto with a small smile. "Sasuke has told me about you."

"I see."

"Among the things he told me about is that you like the Icha Icha series written by Jiraiya."

That earned him a set of narrowed eyes. Kakashi was quiet for a moment before he said, "What about it?"

The blond shrugged. "Oh, nothing. Just thought you'd like to know that a forth book will be coming out this winter."

There was a silence that stretched out for many minutes. The silver-haired man blinked at the blond who was still smiling. He composed himself soon enough though and said, "I have heard nothing of the sort. How come you know about it?"

Naruto let his smile widen. "Because Jiraiya told me." He got a stunned look from the man and just had to add, "I'm his godson, you see."

Before Kakashi could say anything to that Itachi interrupted the conversation.

"Hello Naruto. Glad to see you could make it," said the older Uchiha brother with a smile as he patted the blond on the shoulder.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," said the blond with a return smile.

"I'd like you to meet someone. Will you come with me?"

"Sure." Before he followed Itachi he turned back to the small group. "I'll see you later then, Obito-san, Kakashi-san, Rin-chan."

When the blond was out of earshot the brunette turned to the two men. "He was nice. And handsome too."

"Rin…" said the black-haired man sounding both annoyed and jealous.

"What? It's true. Don't you agree Kakashi?"

The silver-haired man had been in deep thought until his friend had called his name. "I wasn't listening. What did you say?"

The brunette sighed and repeated what she had told the black-haired man.

The silver-haired man nodded. "Yes. Yes he was."

Meanwhile, Naruto had followed Itachi into the kitchen. It was much bigger than the kitchen back home. It had red walls and black tiled floors. The counters, refrigerator, and dishwasher were all in black. There was also a black rectangular table with eight chairs surrounding it.

He was not there to check out the room though as he noticed the women standing by the counters, each holding a martini.

One of them had short straight blue hair and amber eyes. She wore a white dress with a blue belt that was decorated with flowers and white heels. She also had a light blue rose in her hair. The other woman whom the bluenette was talking to had long brown hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a casual brown dress with a dark green belt and black heels. She also wore silver hoop earrings and had a gold band with a small diamond on her left forth finger.

Itachi walked up to the two ladies and talked a bit to them. The bluenette shortly left with the promise to speak with the brunette later. Said brunette turned to the blond, blue meeting blue.

"Hello. You must be Naruto-kun. Itachi has told me lots about you." Naruto needn't anyone to tell him who this was, he already knew.

"It's nice to finally meet you Kagayaku Kokoro," said the blond and took her hand to kiss her knuckles. "I've heard a lot about you too from your future husband."

"Oh really?" Kokoro glanced over where her fiancé stood. "Do tell."

…

"Naruto."

The blond looked away from Kokoro and to the doorway where a familiar raven stood.

"Itachi told me you'd be here," said Sasuke as he stepped into the room. "Hello sister."

"Hello." The brunette turned to the blond. "I'll see you later Naruto-kun," she said before walking out of the room, leaving the two friends to talk.

"I'm glad you came," said the raven with a small smile.

"Well, it's not like I had anything better to do," the blond said with a shrug.

There was a comfortable silence until Naruto seemed to remember something.

"Here," he said and presented Sasuke a white envelope.

"You didn't have to get me anything," said the raven but he still accepted it.

"I know. But I wanted to."

The raven smiled and looked down at the envelope that had "Happy Birthday" and his name written on it.

"You can open it now if you want to."

Sasuke looked up to the blond and smiled. "Mother won't like it if I do that."

"I'll tell her you couldn't wait."

The raven chuckled at that. "Alright."

He looked at the writing one last time before he tore it open. He reached in for the single piece of paper that was in there and read the contents. Then he stared. And stared. It took him a full two minutes before he looked up to a grinning blond.

"You can't be serious…" his voice was low and full of disbelief.

"Oh, I'm dead serious," said Naruto and gave him his most serious look. "I remember you talking about wanting one when we were sixteen in one of your letters. I even had my dad go through the box for me in case I had it wrong."

Sasuke seemed to still not believe it so he looked back down at the piece of paper but the words did not change.

"I – I don't know what to say."

"Well, either you can say that you're grateful or you can show me you-"

He didn't get the chance to finish the sentence as the raven flung his arms around him.

"Thank you," said Sasuke into the blonde's shoulder.

Naruto smiled and wrapped his own arms around the other. "You're welcome."

They stayed like that for a long time. Naruto could sense that something had shifted in the air. He didn't know quite what had changed but he felt himself relax in a way he only did before he fell asleep. He leaned his head on the other's shoulder, closing his eyes and breathed in the scent of cigarettes, lemons and just the musky scent that was Uchiha Sasuke.

The raven pulled away suddenly but slowly. Naruto felt disappointed for a reason he could not name. He felt the hands of the other go up to his shoulders and then rest there. He looked up and into the onyx eyes of his friend. In that moment his breath had literally been stolen away.

The way Sasuke was looking at him he could not quite describe. There was gratitude and something else shining in his eyes. Something warmer. Maybe fondness? He opened his mouth to say something but found his throat completely dry. So he just settled on looking at the raven. His blue eyes studying his pale features and black silken-like hair.

Sasuke was in no doubt a very handsome if not beautiful man. Naruto had occasionally teased him about his looks in his letters. Though the blond had known from even before sending them, the teasing could be read as compliments.

They were shortly interrupted by Itachi who said that Fugaku and Mikoto wanted Sasuke to come. The raven nodded and turned to the blond to look at him one last time before he followed his brother.

When Naruto was alone in the kitchen he felt many different emotions run through him. Excitement. Confusion. Relief. Happiness. Astonishment. Disappointment.

He didn't know what it all meant. Was it because Sasuke had hugged him for longer than necessary? Or just the feeling of his body pressed so close against his? Or the way he had looked at him?

It could've been one or all these things. Naruto did not know. And at the moment, he was not sure if he wanted to know.

He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts before walking out of the kitchen and to where the other guests were. He can think of these confusing thoughts later. Right now, he had other things to do.

…

Naruto arrived at the apartment late. Later than he had anticipated. He took off his shoes and loosened his tie before stumbling into the living room.

He had had a few drinks together with Obito and Kakashi talking about different things. Kakashi mainly wanted to know more about Jiraiya which the blond was more than happy to tell him about. He think he might've surprised the man with some of the things he had told him. Just thinking about it made him giggle.

He went over to the couch and plummeted down face first. He lied there unmoving until he could no longer breathe. He turned to the side until he was lying on his back instead. He let his mind wander for a moment as he looked up at the ceiling. He giggled at some of the memories until it settled on a particular one. When Sasuke had hugged him.

He had noticed that his eyes had mostly followed the raven. Whether he was drinking something or talking to someone. His eyes had mostly been on the raven.

And whenever he noticed that Naruto was looking his way he smiled. A smile that made something inside the blond twist and turn. He had returned the smile mostly but there were times when he'd consumed more alcohol than what he had when he went to the nightclub with Sasuke and his friends that he'd looked away, blushing.

He didn't know why he'd looked away. He hadn't felt particularly embarrassed or anything. At least, not that he could remember.

He ran his hands through his hair. "I'm so fucked up," he muttered under his breath.

He lied there on the couch until his eyelids started to feel heavy. He didn't feel like getting up so he tried to make himself as comfortable as he could before he closed his eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 _He could feel a hand caressing his face as soft lips pressed against his own. The mouth of his lover opened and their tongue poked out from between their lips. Naruto thrust his own tongue out to meet the other's. His lover gently pushed him down on the bed as he continued to kiss him. The blond moaned into the kiss as his lover's hands stroked his body, almost caressing it._

 _He continued to be kissed as the hands travelled down lower. Naruto gasped when his lover suddenly grabbed his cock as he began stroking it until it became hard._

" _Naruto."_

 _The sound of his lover speaking his name in such a husky way made him groan. His lover continued to stroke him until he felt like he might come._

 _That's when his lover stopped, making the blond frown. His frowning face didn't last for long though when his lover pushed his legs apart and he felt something hot and hard press against his entrance._

 _He bit his lip as his lover slowly entered him inch by inch. It didn't hurt which the blond thought was odd since he hadn't been prepared but didn't linger on the thought for long as the intense feeling of being filled spread through his entire body._

 _His body trembled in pleasure as he took deep breaths. It was so intense but also so good. He wanted his lover to move. He wanted to feel more._

 _As if his lover had read his mind, they began to move. It was slow at first until his lover picked up the pace._

 _Naruto was a gasping and moaning mess. He couldn't form a coherent thought as his lover continued to pound into him._

 _Lost in sensation and sounds of his lover he came._

 _Semen spurted out from the tip of his cock, coating their stomachs. His lover continued to pound into him until he felt them suddenly stop. He felt something hot and wet fill him up as his lover's body shook._

 _He felt his lover as they pulled out of him and then there was nothing. Naruto opened his eyes to the faceless shadow of his lover. He reached a hand out to caress their hair that he knew was dark and almost silken-like to the touch._

 _His lover moved down and pressed their lips together in a chaste kiss. When they pulled away, they spoke only one word. Said only one name in a voice that seemed so familiar to the blond._

" _Naruto."_

* * *

Naruto shot up on the couch and immediately regretted it as his head began to spin. He lied back down until his vision stopped swimming before he slowly rose this time.

He looked around and noticed he was in the living room in his and Gaara's shared apartment. He also noticed three other things.

One: His neck hurt from sleeping on the couch. Two: A blanket had been draped over his being. Had Gaara done that? And three: He had an uncomfortable and wet feeling in between his legs.

He put his face in his hands as he cradled his head. It was pounding but at least he wasn't feeling nauseous.

It took him a while before he left the couch to take a painkiller and then go shower. He took care of his little problem while he was in the shower. Orgasming to the thought of his dream-lover touching him.

Once he'd freshened up he dressed and then made something light to eat just in case his stomach decided to be a pain.

He glanced over at the clock to check the time. It was one-thirty in the afternoon. He was glad he didn't have work today or anything for that matter which made him wonder what he should do.

It wouldn't be until two weeks when he would accompany Sasuke to officially get his present. Speaking of Sasuke, maybe he should call him up and they could hang out or something.

His mind drifted off to yesterday and he shook his head. Maybe not.

Before he could think about anything else the front door opened and closed. He heard the rustle of a jacket being removed and then the sound of footsteps. Gaara came in a second later carrying white plastic bags filled with groceries.

"Oh, you're awake," he said when his pale eyes landed on him.

Naruto stood up to help the red-head unpack. It was silent between the two men for a few minutes until Gaara decided to ask why the blond had slept on the couch the other day.

"I had a few drinks with Sasuke's and Itachi's uncle along with their godfather. I was exhausted both mentally and physically once I arrived. Literally couldn't get up." He paused as he put some cups of instant ramen noodles in a cabinet. "Thank you for the blanket by the way."

"Sounds like you had one hell of a night. And you looked like you were freezing so I thought it couldn't hurt." This time Gaara was the one to pause as he contemplated whether he should say the next few words or not. In the end, he shrugged and asked the question. "Who were you dreaming about?"

Naruto almost dropped a bag full of rice, not having expected that type of question. The blond though was not a person to get embarrassed by something so trivial. He just turned once he'd put the rice on the counter and said, "I don't know. I couldn't quite see them."

Gaara was not unsurprised by the blonde's blunt answer as he continued to unpack.

Once they were done Naruto made them each a cup of tea and then went into the living room to relax. The red-head asked him how the party was and the blond let a smile slip on.

"It was great. There weren't that many people there, mostly family and a few friends. I also met Itachi's future wife Kokoro."

"And how was she?"

His smile widened. "She was really nice. We talked about what Itachi had told me about her among other things. Then before we could get into another conversation, Sasuke interrupted us." He paused to take a long sip of his tea as his memory went back to yesterday. The hug and what he had been feeling at the time. "He really liked his present. Well, what I told him I would pay for."

Gaara had noticed the change in the blond when he'd paused to take a sip. And when he had finally told him what he wanted to, he felt like there was more to it. He wouldn't push him though, the red-head would wait until the blond was ready to tell him.


	8. Kuro Hebi

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Use of alcohol.**

* * *

Two weeks passed by a lot quicker than Naruto had guessed it would. Now he was standing outside Sakuranoki where he and Sasuke were to meet up.

"Naruto!"

The blond turned to his right and smiled when he saw the raven. "Hello," he greeted him. "Are you ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," said the Uchiha.

Naruto studied him for a moment. "Nervous?"

Sasuke looked up at the blond to see if he was making fun of him but he only saw genuine curiosity there so he decided to be truthful. "A little."

The blond smiled and reached over to put an arm around the other's shoulders. "It's okay to be a bit nervous," he said honestly. "I mean, it's not every day you go and get tattooed." He took a pause as he thought about whether to ask the question he wanted to ask or not. _Fuck it,_ he thought and said, "How did the family react?"

"Mother and father were shocked, Itachi was not surprised, Kokoro said that my decisions were mine alone, and uncle Obito thought it was the best idea I have ever had."

"Sounds like it went pretty good."

"Well, after I convinced mother and father, yes you could say that."

They talked while walking until they arrived at the tattoo parlor Naruto had chosen. It was called Kuro Hebi and he knew it because Jiraiya had told him about it.

They stepped into the place and walked over to the counter. There was no one behind so the two looked around the place as they waited. The store had dark wooden floors and pale grey walls. There was a black leather couch standing by one corner and a small table with magazines scattered on it. There also were a few paintings hanging on the walls with dark themes.

"Good afternoon." Naruto and Sasuke spun around at the voice. There was a man standing behind the counter whom the blond recognized immediately from pictures his godfather had showed him.

His name was Orochimaru and he was a man with extremely pale skin, long black hair and golden eyes. He wore a dark grey t-shirt, showing his translucent-looking arms that were covered in tattoos and black jeans.

Naruto nodded in greeting to the man with Sasuke shortly following.

"How can I help you?" asked the golden-eyed man as he looked at the two boys.

"My friend here wants to get a tattoo," said the blond as he gestured to the raven.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes. The name is Namikaze Naruto and I have one at six-thirty."

Orochimaru opened up a calendar book that neither of the boys had seen and checked. He confirmed it with a nod of his head. "Do you know what you'd like?" he asked, directing the question to Sasuke.

The raven nodded. "The Curse Mark."

The golden-eyed man's eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment. "Alright. This way please." He gestured to the back.

Sasuke didn't follow the man immediately as he looked back at Naruto.

The blond just gave him a waving motion. "Go," he mouthed to the other and then smiled reassuringly.

The raven just nodded before he went after the tattooist.

…

Naruto looked up about an hour later when a shadow fell over him. He had been sitting on the couch reading through the magazines. He had found a tattoo he wouldn't mind getting himself.

Now though he was looking up and into the onyx eyes of the raven. "Done?" he asked and got a weak nod in response.

He stood up and regarded the raven more closely. He seemed paler than usual, his skin almost translucent with the dark blue jacket he was wearing. The blond immediately got worried as he carefully put his hands on the other's shoulders. Sasuke flinched away at his touch, his face scrunched up in pain.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" asked Naruto.

"Getting the tattoo," he began slowly. "Hurt."

The blond blinked a few times. "Huh?"

"I said, it hurt." The raven hesitated for a moment but eventually added, "A lot."

"Okay." Naruto was kind of at a loss on what to do, so he decided to ask some questions. "Do you regret getting the tattoo?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Where do you have it?"

"On my left shoulder."

 _Ah,_ thought Naruto as he glanced over at the other's shoulder. _That's why it hurt when I put my hand there._

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For…" he trailed off and gestured with his hand.

Sasuke understood. "It's okay. You didn't know."

Naruto smiled in relief.

"Well, isn't this sweet."

The two boys turned to see Orochimaru standing behind the counter with his arms folded and a smirk playing on his lips.

"If you boyfriends are done making up, I would like the payment," he said.

"We're not boyfriends," said the boys in unison.

The smirk of the golden-eyed man widened. "Whatever you say."

The blond stepped in to pay before his friend opened his mouth to say something else. After that they stepped out of Kuro Hebi and decided to go eat lunch at a small restaurant.

…

Sasuke was in deep thought on what the tattooist had said. Did he and Naruto look like a couple? He glanced up at the blond who was eating. His cerulean-blue eyes truly were beautiful, like the sea on a hot summer day. His features although round didn't make him look fat, and his golden-blond hair that shone bright in the sunlight made him look like an angelic creature. There also were the whisker marks on his cheeks, so strange but fit him so well.

Naruto was an attractive man. No doubt about that. And he was also a compassionate and loving person with a playful side. He wondered then for a moment how the other's body was underneath all that clothing.

His thoughts suddenly got interrupted by a voice. It was not the blonde's voice that had interrupted him though, instead as he turned to his left he saw two females he knew all too well.

He swallowed his annoyance as he put a mask of indifference on his face before truly facing the platinum-blonde woman and her pink-haired friend.

"Good evening Ino, Sakura," he greeted them politely.

"Good evening Sasuke-kun," said the two women in unison.

"Oh, hello ladies."

Ino and Sakura who had not noticed the blond sitting opposite of the raven were surprised to see him. They shared a look of confusion with each other but quickly covered it up with smiles as they turned back to Sasuke.

"Would you mind if we joined you?" asked Sakura.

"As you can see I'm a little bit busy eating with a friend here," said Sasuke flatly.

The pinkette's smile fell but her friend as usual wasn't one to give up so easily. "Oh come on. I bet you we would be much better company than your friend here."

"Oh really?" said Naruto before Sasuke had a chance to open his mouth. "And how is that?"

Ino sneered at him. "Because we're not a deceiver like you."

The blond raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Really?"

"Yes," said Sakura, jumping into the conversation. "You and your friend were deceiving us throughout the whole meal. You should've told us you were gay from the start."

She looked so smug when she said the last part. As if she had just revealed a dirty little secret of his. How wrong she was.

Sasuke looked at the two women in disdain before he said, "The way Naruto explained to me on what happened was that you were the ones lying and not the other way around."

Both Sakura and Ino gave him a look of shock. "How can you think that Sasuke-kun?" asked the blonde. "How can you believe this lying faggot?"

Naruto's head snapped up at the word she'd used. He had been called that when he was a teenager by a few kids in the village. He knew that it was a bad word just by the way they had spat it out. And when he'd told Sasuke about it in one of his letters, he'd been furious. He wondered how he would react when hearing it spoken out loud.

When the blond looked at the raven he could immediately tell that his friend had not appreciate the word she'd used. His eyebrows were scrunched up in anger and his onyx eyes were giving the two women a look that would've killed them if looks could kill.

He glanced over at the women who were looking at Sasuke with a mix of both shock and fear. They probably had not anticipated for the raven to get royally pissed off.

"Naruto is many things but he's not a liar. How dare you tell me he's lying when you don't even know him?" He then turned his gaze fully on Ino. "And how dare you use such a word right in front of me. How dare you call my best friend that? I have known this man longer than any of you. I have known about his sexuality for years. And how long have you known it? A few weeks?"

He stopped speaking for a while to gather some of his wits, so he wouldn't lash out. Naruto in the meanwhile was staring at him, stunned. He knew Sasuke cared about him a great deal, but to hear him standing up for him and tell people that he knew him better (which was true of course) was honestly a very good feeling.

"I take it you two were the ones to send me those letters on how I was to stay away from Naruto?" Silence followed that question but the two women looked so guilty that it was obvious it had been them. "I thought so." He took a small pause and then sneered at the two women. "You disgust me."

Ino and Sakura didn't stick around after that admission. Sasuke exhaled a tired breath and then turned to look at a smiling blond.

"What?"

"Thank you. For standing up for me," said Naruto earnestly.

The raven smiled. "You're welcome."

They finished up eating and then went out.

"I'll see you on Friday? At Kokushin?" asked the raven.

The blond nodded with a smile. "Yeah."

And with that, they parted.

* * *

"Can I take your order?" asked Naruto a young couple sitting by the window. They looked to be around Konohamaru's age. The girl had violet hair that was tied in two pigtails and emerald-green eyes. The boy who had his arm around her had spiky azure-blue hair and silver-grey eyes.

They looked so happy together that the blond couldn't help but smile at the pair. After taking their orders he went to give them to the people at the back.

Saying that Naruto liked working at the café was an understatement. He loved to work there. The atmosphere was wonderful and the staff was really nice. He couldn't think of a better place to work at.

Hours passed until it was almost time for him to go home and change clothes. It was Friday so he was going with Sasuke to Kokushin today.

"Um, excuse me?"

Naruto looked up from the table he'd been wiping with a cloth and into the green eyes of Haruno Sakura.

"Oh, hello." The blond was surprised to see the pinkette. He would think that after that thing with Sasuke a few days ago she wouldn't go near him. Seems like he'd been wrong.

"C – Can I speak with you?" she asked.

The blond studied the pinkette. She looked anxious, her body twitching every once in a while, and her lip in between her teeth. She wasn't faking this look that much he could tell. He nodded and told her to sit down while he finish up. She obediently listened and sat down at a table by the window, close to the entrance.

A couple of minutes later the blond came and sat down opposite of her. "What did you want to talk to me about?" he asked after a moment's of silence.

She had her gaze cast downwards and hands in her lap when she answered him. "I wanted to apologize," she began saying. "For what we – no – I said."

The blond was honestly surprised by Sakura's honesty. He didn't think she had it in her to apologize but it seemed like she had. She was smarter than he had thought.

"I shouldn't have been so quick to judge you. It was wrong of me. I'm sorry." She didn't look up from her lap the whole time, as if she was afraid of the blonde's reaction.

Naruto smiled at her. "Sakura?" The pinkette looked up at the call of her name, her cheeks stained with tears. "Thank you. Thank you for apologizing, it means a lot to me."

The pinkette dried her tears and smiled tentatively at the blond. "I'm glad. I can't say the same for Ino though. She's dead set on making your life miserable."

"And let me guess, you don't agree with her?"

She nodded. "She's taking this too far. I figured that if I were to do the things she would do, then Sasuke-kun would hate me even more."

"Why do you like Sasuke?" That question had been bugging the blond for quite some time.

She blushed and avoided his eyes. "It's silly," she said. It seemed like she wouldn't answer when she suddenly said, "I'll tell you if you tell me something about him."

The blond thought about that for no more than half a minute until he nodded. "Alright."

"It started in my second year of high school. I had previously been at the top of my classes in everything until Sasuke-kun transferred to our school. I always came second no matter what it was. Math, English, History, Home Economics, Sports etc. I always came second. At the time I didn't really like him. I found him infuriating and arrogant.

"But, I came to realize that there was more to him than just that. There were times when he would sit down at his desk and write, sometimes read too. He always wore this wonderful smile when doing either of these things. I wanted that smile directed at me. And so, I studied harder and trained myself until finally one day I was on top again.

"Sasuke-kun came up and congratulated me. He didn't smile, but there was a look of acknowledgment written on his face. And at that moment, I fell for him."

She avoided her gaze from the blond again, her face turning scarlet. Naruto was honestly surprised by that admission. He didn't know what to say for several minutes. He didn't need to though as Sakura spoke for him.

"Will you tell me something about Sasuke-kun?"

The blond was grateful for the change as he smiled. "Yes. What would you like to hear?"

There was a short silence until she said, "What type of people do he like?"

Again, Naruto was surprised by the pinkette. He quickly covered it up though as he answered her sincerely. "Honest people. People who are true to themselves and don't lie. Even if the truth hurts, he would rather hear that than a lie. That's the type of people he likes."

Sakura nodded and then went to stand up. "Thank you for your time Naruto."

The blond stood up as well. "You're welcome."

And with that, the pinkette left. The blond watched the door for a little while before he went back to work the remaining minutes of his shift.

* * *

"Why don't you just talk to him?" asked Naruto as he took a sip of the swirling blue liquid known as Spiraling Sphere.

He'd been talking to Gaara for the past ten minutes about Neji who was sitting by a table talking to Tenten and some guy the blond didn't recognize.

The red-head gave him a glare that the blond met with a blank stare. Gaara slumped his shoulders in defeat a couple of moments later and let out a soft sigh. "He's a Hyuga," he said as he continued to clean glasses. "He wouldn't want to associate himself with a person like me. A guy who got kicked out by his own father for being different."

"You got kicked out by your father?"

Gaara looked up in shock at the voice, as if not believing his ears. But when he saw that it was Neji standing there with a frown marring his face, he had to believe it. He didn't know what to do so he just avoided his eyes.

"So what if I did?" he spat out. He hadn't meant for it to come out like that, he was just so angry and embarrassed at himself for not noticing the other's presence.

"Why?"

The red-head looked up and straight into the pearly white eyes of his crush. "Because my father is a homophobic bastard." There, he said it. Now the brunet could think of him in any way he liked.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know," said Neji earnestly.

Gaara looked at the brunet in confusion but then avoided his gaze as he reached for another glass to clean. "How would you have known?" he said. "I have only told a handful of people."

He continued to avoid the other's eyes until the brunet asked, "Are you happy now?"

He thought that he'd heard it wrong so he asked, "What?"

"Are you happy now that you no longer have to hide?"

The red-head was silent with only one thought running through his head. _Why would you care?_

"Why do I care? Because I like you."

Gaara stopped, forgetting that he had spoken out loud and instead slowly brought his eyes up to the brunet's face. He looked serious. "W – What?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"I care about you because I like you," said Neji and reached over to grab the other's hand. "And I have for a very long time." He brought the hand up to his face and kissed the back of it.

The red-head swallowed nervously, his heart feeling like it was about to come out of his chest. He felt like he was dreaming, but he knew that somewhere in the back of his mind that this was real. He didn't know what to say. Should he confess too? Or should he do nothing?

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" asked the brunet suddenly.

Gaara immediately shook his head. "No. I – I just am… Surprised."

The brunet raised an eyebrow, urging the other to continue.

"You just didn't seem interested," he said with a small shrug.

"Neither did you," said Neji. "You seemed very distant and indifferent when I tried talking to you."

"I was nervous and…" he trailed off, trying to come up with an excuse but found none available at the moment so he just sighed.

"It's okay," said the brunet and put a hand on the red-head's shoulder.

They stayed like that, looking into the other's eyes until a voice interrupted them.

"Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle."

Gaara mentally groaned when he realized Naruto was still sitting by the bar. He'd probably witnessed the whole thing. The red-head turned away from the blond and brunet as he set to work again, his face flushed crimson.

"Took you two long enough. I was about to go over to your table and ask you to ask him out already," said Naruto, directing his statement to the brunet.

Neji turned to the blond with a slight surprised look on his face. "You knew?"

"Oh yeah. It's not that difficult to figure it out when both of you glance over at the other every five minutes."

The blond and brunet exchange a couple of more words with each other until Tenten came over to drag him back to the table. Naruto was left alone since his roommate was ignoring him at all cost. He just smiled and took another sip of his drink. He turned to watch the people on the dancefloor instead and his eyes eventually ended up on Sai. As if the other felt his eyes on him, he turned and smiled suggestively as he continued to move his hips.

He looked away a few minutes later and looked around the room, in search of a familiar raven. When he didn't find him he figured that he must be out for a smoke and returned back to his drink.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Naruto turned only to see the guy known as Sai standing there. He just shrugged as an answer and took a big gulp of his drink.

In no time there was a martini glass with some crimson-red liquid in it. The blond looked up to Gaara and asked of its name and was told that it's called "Crimson Fruit."

He picked up the glass by the stem and took a small sip. The sweet liquid danced on his tongue for a moment before he swallowed. It tasted of berries.

"Not bad," he said quietly but loud enough for people close by him to hear.

"I'm glad you like it." Naruto turned to look at Sai, having forgotten he was there. He was regarding him with his black lust-filled eyes and a small suggestive smile playing on his lips. "Would you mind telling me your name?"

The blond knew that he could've easily said that he wasn't interested, but at the moment he'd consumed more alcohol than he had thought and was feeling a bit light-headed.

"I'm Naruto."

"It's nice to meet you Naruto-kun," said the dark-haired man. He sat down on a stool beside the blond and ordered a glass of something called "Dark Smoke Sphere."

"So," began Sai when he'd gotten his drink. "What brings you here?"

"A friend of mine and their people come here every Friday," answered Naruto easily.

"Oh? And what do you usually do?" the dark-haired man asked, moving an inch closer to the blond.

"Mostly we just sit down and relax while drinking."

"Hm, sounds boring," commented the man. He then leaned in more, placing his hand on the other's thigh before he whispered, "Why don't we go to the back and I'll show you to have a bit of fun?"

The blond thought this over for a minute but in the end just shook his head. "No thanks."

Sai didn't push him to change his mind as he just stood up and walked away, probably to pursue someone else. Naruto went back to his drink but only got a few moments of silence before Gaara commented.

"I'm impressed. I have never seen somebody so calmly turn down Sai," he said.

The blond just shrugged and then took another sip of his drink.

"Your friend is coming this way," said Gaara.

Naruto turned around and smiled when he saw Sasuke. "Had a good smoke?"

The raven shrugged. "As good as it can get." He then sat down beside the blond and ordered a shot of Black Needle. As he waited for his drink he turned to his friend and asked, "What did Sai want?"

The blond looked at the raven in slight surprise. "How do you know Sai?"

"That's not important," he said and picked up the small glass with the black liquid Gaara had just set out. "What did he want?"

Naruto leaned back a little to study his friend. He seemed a bit… tense? It was hard to tell but that's what the blond saw. His body language seemed closed up in comparison to how he usually sits and act like. The words he'd spoken had also been said in a flat tone. Like he didn't really care what his response was going to be.

The blond didn't comment on it as he answered the other's question. "He wanted sex." He watched as the other seemed to tense up even more as his hand clutched the shot glass tightly. Afraid that the glass would break in the other's grip he added, "I turned him down."

Naruto watched as the other visibly relaxed before he consumed his drink in one gulp. He continued to watch as the raven exhaled loudly before he put down the glass, asking Gaara for a second one.

As if feeling that someone was watching him, Sasuke looked up. "What?" he asked.

The blond was about to say something but thought better of it and just turned away as he took another sip of his drink. "Nothing."

The night passed on much in the same manner. The two men mostly drank and exchanged a few words with each other.

When the night ended Naruto was left with a head filled with questions regarding his friend and feelings of confusion. He would have to look into it later though, preferably when he was sober.

* * *

 **I have two things to say regarding this chapter. One: Sasuke's reaction to getting the tattoo is my own reaction when I got my first and even second. Two: I can't write a bad Sakura. I just can't.** **That's all.**

 **Sakuranoki - Cherry Tree**

 **Kuro Hebi - Black Snake**

 **Kokushin - Black Needle**


	9. Truth or Dare

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Use of alcohol.**

* * *

Autumn, the season of change and color. Naruto personally loved this season. It reminded him of when he used to jump into a pile of freshly raked leaves among other things. He would've never guessed that he would be accompanying Itachi's fiancé Kokoro and two of her friends to go shopping. He didn't really mind it but it was honestly a bit strange.

In the end, he had a pretty good time with the three women. He even bought a few items for himself that Kokoro had picked out for him.

When Naruto arrived at the apartment he could hear loud voices coming from the other room. Frowning, he walked into said room where he met a sight he'd not expected.

Gaara was standing in the middle of the living room with his arms crossed over his chest and a steely look in his eyes. There was a man standing just a few feet away from the red-head. A man whom the blond didn't recognize. He had spiky grayish-red hair and dark eyes. There was also something about this man that didn't seem right to the blond.

He was just about to step in when the man started speaking. His voice was calm yet cold.

"You need to stop this nonsense. The gayness should've left you by now, it's been two years already."

At that moment Naruto understood what was going on. This man was Gaara's father. And he seemed to be here to see if his son had "come to his senses" by now. Good grief.

"I am as gay now as I was two years ago," said Gaara flatly. "It's not a phase, or sickness. It won't go away and cannot be cured. It's a part of me. Of who I am. If you can't accept the person I am then leave me alone."

"Gaara-"

"Don't," he said in a warning tone. "I have done nothing wrong. Instead of lying to you of who I really was, I told you the truth about myself. Would you have rather liked me keep lying to you?"

There was a few minutes of silence that felt like they lasted longer. The dark-eyed man seemed to think about his answer thoroughly before he said, "Yes."

"You're unbelievable." Naruto's heart broke a little when he saw the pain flashing in the other's eyes. "I'm done. You can show yourself out." And with that he turned and left the room.

When Gaara was gone the man sighed in something between annoyance and exhaustion. The blond waited a minute before he walked over.

"Sabaku-san."

The man looked up at the voice as his dark eyes locked onto the blonde's. "Who are you?"

"I am your son's roommate and friend. My name is Namikaze Naruto."

The man seemed to slightly relax. "Great. If you're his friend then you can talk some sense into him."

"Talk some sense into him?" asked the blond, confused.

Sabaku nodded. "Yes. He needs to stop this nonsense and get back into his life."

Naruto had first decided to calmly talk to this man but those words were enough to make him drop the politeness and speak to the other as if they were equals. "Oh? And what life would that be? The life that you laid out for him and made him feel miserable? Or are you talking about something else?"

The man immediately tensed up as he glared at him. "How dare you speak that way to me? Don't you know who I am?"

"You're Gaara's homophobic father, that's who you are," said the blond as he crossed his arms over his chest, daring the other to say otherwise.

Sabaku didn't say anything to that. Instead he just looked at the blond. "Don't tell me you're also gay."

"I am."

He looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "Your parents must be very disappointed."

"You might think that but not everyone is like you," said Naruto. "My parents were shocked at first but unlike you they accepted it."

"How can they accept something as disgusting as that?" Sabaku sounded shocked when he said that. Like he couldn't believe it.

"Because they love me as the person I am. They care more about my happiness than what I prefer. Tell me something Sabaku-san, do you love your son?"

"What kind of question is that? Isn't it obvious?"

 _No, it isn't_ , thought Naruto as he continued to look at the man. He decided to try a different approach. "What do you care about more, your son's happiness or future?"

"His future," was the immediate response from the other.

Feeling disappointed in the man that was supposed to be Gaara's father the blond said, "I think it's time for you to go."

Sabaku didn't argue as he gladly left. When the blond heard the front door shut he let out a tired sigh. He took a few calming breaths before he went to check how his friend was doing. He lightly knocked on the door before opening it. The red-head was sitting on the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest.

He looked up when the door opened. "Naruto… When did you get back?"

"A couple of minutes ago," he answered. "Your father is gone now."

Gaara visibly relaxed and stretched out his legs. "Did he say anything before leaving?"

"Not really." The blond walked over and sat down beside the other. "Are you okay?"

"I will be."

Naruto not wanting his friend to delve on the issue with his father decided to change the subject. "How are you and Neji doing?"

Gaara seemed to calm even more when the blond asked that and even smiled a little. He explained how different the brunet was in private. He became more relaxed and easier to talk to.

The blond listened to the other's every word, feeling both happy and relieved that he seemed fine now. He left after a while to heat up some water for tea. As he waited for the water to boil he decided to sit down and think about something he'd failed to do.

He put his hands at the table as he thought about Sasuke. Only a few months ago he had felt nothing but friendship towards him, now though, those feelings have morphed into something more.

It all had started on the raven's birthday. He had been so overwhelmed by Sasuke's reaction to his gift that he'd not known what to say. He clearly remembered how he had felt at the time. He had been overcome with happiness for his friend along with some stronger emotion. Though whenever that was affection or something else he did not know. He did know though that he no longer thought of the raven as just a friend anymore.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't one to care about such things as preference for seasons of the year. But if he had to choose one then it would be autumn. The reason? Simple. He liked the colors. It also was cooler than the heat during summer but not as cold as during the winter.

He also liked it because Halloween took place during autumn. Before he met Naruto he thought it was nothing but a hassle but afterwards he came to appreciate it more. He rather liked the idea of dressing up just for fun and sometimes scaring others. He was really good at telling stories that would freak more than one person out.

He chuckled a little as he thought of one time when he scared Suigetsu. The poor guy couldn't sleep for two days because of the story he'd told.

He shook his head, ridding himself of thoughts of the past as he focused on what he was doing. He looked down at the display of jewelry the store sold but couldn't find anything that gave him the right kind of vibe.

"Can I help you?"

The raven looked up and into a pair of pale blue eyes of a young brunette. He looked back down at the things that were lying on display before he said, "I'm not sure."

"Well, if you tell me what you're looking for I might be able to help."

Sasuke was about to say that he didn't need any help but thought better of it. Instead, he thought about what his friend would like until he came up with something. "Do you have anything that is animal related?"

The brunette seemed to think his words over before she went to the back. She came back a few minutes later carrying a wooden box. She put it down on the counter and opened up the lid before turning it around so that the raven could take a look on what was inside.

There were a range of rings and necklaces that seemed good but didn't give him the feeling he wanted. He was about to give up when he saw it. There was a necklace inside with a round silver plate that had a small fox carved into it on a simple chain. He could distinctively remember his friend telling him of how much he liked foxes.

He picked up the necklace as a small smile formed on his lips. He looked up at the brunette. "I'll take it."

* * *

Sasuke was nervous, which was pretty unusual. He could count up the times he'd felt even remotely anxious on his fingers.

The first time he'd approached a group of kids after the summer he'd had at the Namikaze. The time he'd asked Itachi for help on a difficult school project. When he'd asked his father's opinion on studying to become an architect. When he'd told his parents of his sexuality.

Those times couldn't even compare to what he was feeling now. He felt like he was having a small panic attack.

He didn't know how many times he'd stretched out his hand to knock on the door or ring the doorbell only to pull away. He had already lost count on how many times he'd ran his hand through his hair, or straightened out his clothes.

He knew the reason for his anxiety and he hated it. He hated that he felt this way for his friend.

He had realized a long time ago that what he felt for his friend wasn't just mere friendship. The realization had scared him and he'd tried to ignore the feelings. But when Sasuke saw him on that day a few months ago. Standing there with his spiky golden-blond locks, blue eyes, whiskers and goofy smile, those feelings had resurfaced.

He had tried ignoring them but each time he saw the blond it became harder and harder. He had let it slip on his birthday, he knew he had. Though the blond hadn't said anything about it, which he was grateful for. He didn't know what would happen if these feelings came into light.

He took a deep calming breath and then finally brought his hand to the front of the door and knocked. It only took a few seconds until it swung open to reveal his secret crush-

 _No,_ he told himself firmly. _Friend. Not crush. Friend._

"Hello," said Naruto with a big smile when he saw who it was.

The raven felt a jolt in his heart when he saw that smile but quickly ignored it and smiled back. "Hello." He then gave the blond the bouquet of yellow roses he'd been carrying around for the past hour and the small box that was wrapped up in dark blue paper and tied with a silver ribbon. "Happy Birthday."

The blond smiled a smile that literally stole the raven's breath away. He didn't remember to breathe until his friend voiced his gratitude and then went back in carrying the items.

Sasuke took a few breaths to calm himself before following. He walked into the living room where Naruto was talking to two teenagers that were sitting on the couch. He recalled the blond mentioning being friends with two high school students who worked at the same cafe.

"Sasuke-kun."

The raven turned his head at the call of his name and was more than a little surprised to find Sakura standing there, or what he thought to be her. The woman who stood before him wore a red shirt, blue jeans that were ripped at the knees and a black leather jacket. She also had cut her hair short so it ended by her shoulders.

"Sakura?" he asked after a moment, still not able to believe his eyes. The pink hair and green eyes was without a doubt the girl from his high school days. But there was something in the way she was looking at him that he hadn't seen in years.

"It's good to see you Sasuke-kun," she said with a small smile. "How have you been?"

The raven was too stunned to answer. What had happened? Though the question he really wanted an answer to was, "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. When she received no answer she answered the other's unspoken question. "I am congratulating on my friend's birthday."

"Your friend...? But... that would mean..."

"Naruto is my friend, yes."

Sasuke again was stunned into silence. Since when were Naruto and Sakura friends?

"Are you okay Sasuke-kun? Should I get you something to drink? Or do you need to sit down?" asked the pinkette in concern.

"I'm fine," said the raven. He was quiet for a minute before he asked the question he wanted an answer to. "When did you and Naruto become friends? I thought you didn't like him."

Sakura seemed to look a bit ashamed as she lowered her head a little. "I didn't. Not at first anyway. But that was because I was judging him before knowing him."

"What changed your mind?"

"You."

"Me?"

She nodded. "The way you defended him when Ino and I were being rude. I realized that what I was doing wasn't the right thing. So I decided to apologize."

"And let me guess, he accepted your apology?"

She nodded again. "Yes. I was really glad he did." She turned her head to look at the blond whom was laughing at something the young brunet had said. "He really is an amazing person, isn't he?"

The raven turned to follow her gaze and he smiled when they fell on the blond. "Yes. He is."

…

A few hours into the party Sasuke found himself sitting in a circle with the others and an empty bottle spinning before them. He had no idea how he'd managed to get dragged into this. Playing truth or dare has never been his favorite game but it wasn't as bad now as other times. It could have something to do with Naruto being there or him having had a few drinks before they decided to do this.

The young brunet whom had earlier introduced himself as Konohamaru to him reached over and span the bottle. He had just done a dare where he needed to open a window and shout something that the raven couldn't remember. He just knew that it must've been embarrassing, if the blush he was sporting was anything to go by.

Everyone watched as the bottle slowed down until it landed on Naruto. The blond just smiled as he looked at the young brunet confidently.

"Naruto-niichan, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

The brunet was silent for a moment as he thought of what to ask. When he found his question he grinned. "What is the one thing you hate about your best friend?"

"He's very stubborn," said the blond immediately, the confidence he wore in his eyes never wavering.

"Says you," said Sasuke automatically as he looked at the blond. "I would say that you're pretty stubborn yourself."

"Well," began Naruto and then smirked. "Unlike you I will eventually tell what is wrong or ask for help, while you won't. And don't try denying it, I know you too well."

The raven just rolled his eyes as people around tried to hold back their laughter and failing. He decided to evade everyone's eyes as he focused on the bottle that was now spinning. It slowed down to a stop in front of Gaara.

"Truth or dare?" asked the blond with a wicked glint in his eye.

The red-head seemed a bit torn on what to answer with but eventually said, "Truth."

The glint in the cerulean-blue eyes of the blond seemed to grow even more vicious as he asked the question, or rather questions. "When was your first kiss? And with whom?"

The red-head immediately glared at the other as a slight blush began forming on his cheeks. He didn't look at anyone when he answered the question. "It was a few weeks ago. With Neji."

"Are you serious?" asked Konohamaru.

Gaara slowly nodded.

Sasuke watched the young brunet look at the red-head with astonishment. The raven himself was a bit surprised but didn't dwell on it for too long.

The game went on for an hour. Truths were told that surprised many and dares were done that made people laugh.

Rock Lee – a guy Naruto met and became friends with just a few weeks ago – did a fifty push-ups dare. Sakura admitted that her first kiss had been with a girl and that it had been a dare at a friend's party. Kaede danced for one minute with no music on. Konohamaru admitted that out of all the people in the room the one he liked the most was Kaede. The list went on.

The bottle span for what everyone had agreed on to be the last time. It slowed down until it came to a complete stop in front of Sasuke.

The raven looked up and into the green eyes of Sakura. There was a challenging look in her eyes that slightly unnerved him but not enough to make him back down.

"Sasuke-kun, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

The challenge in her eyes faded away as a mischievous one took its place. "Who do you think is the most attractive person in this room?"

 _Shit,_ Sasuke swore in his head. He didn't say anything for a few minutes. His gaze was cast down onto the floor, as if the wooden surface held the answer he sought. He of course knew what the answer was, but it didn't hurt to take some time before he admitted it.

A couple of more minutes passed before he brought his gaze up, making sure he was looking directly at the pinkette before he said the name.

"Naruto."

The moment he said the name of his friend everything went quiet. He felt like getting up and running away. But he didn't. And he was glad he hadn't because he heard something that made his heart warm.

"I could say the same thing about you."

He looked up and into the cerulean-blue orbs of his blond friend, which were shining with honesty. He had a big grin on his face that made the raven want to smile as well but instead just cleared his throat and looked away.

The party continued for a while longer before people started leaving. The first ones to leave were Konohamaru and Kaede. The brunet had earlier confessed to the teal-haired girl that he liked her more than a friend. Lucky for him Kaede had felt the same and everyone had applauded at their little display of affection for one another.

After that more people began to leave until it was only Sasuke, Naruto and Gaara left in the apartment. The raven was sitting on the couch with his eyes shut and face flushed. He had had one too many drinks and couldn't move even if he wanted to.

He then heard a voice call his name. He internally groaned but slowly peeled his eyes open. He had to blink a few times to be able to make out the big blur of colors in front of him.

"Naruto..."

"Hello to you too," said the blond with a small smile. He kneeled in front of him and laid a hand on the raven's thigh. "How are you feeling? Can you stand?"

Sasuke tried to get up but found that he had no strength in his arms or legs. He told the blond exactly that and got a soft sigh in response.

"What am I supposed to do with you?" he asked with a fond smile.

The raven couldn't give the other an answer as he shut his eyes again. He felt the presence of the other leave him but only for a moment before he felt two hands grab his arms. He felt himself being lifted up from the couch until he was leaning heavily on a warm, solid body.

"What're you doing?" asked the raven absentmindedly as he felt the blond put one arm around his shoulder and then the other under his knees. If he had been a bit more sober he would've panicked at the closeness, but at the moment his mind was too fuzzy to even think a coherent thought.

"Hold onto me," said Naruto in a half commanding tone.

The raven mumbled something under his breath before he reached over and put his arms around the other's neck. The next thing he knew his feet were no longer touching the ground.

He tried to open his eyes to see what was going on but to no avail. He was too tired and being this close to his secret crush made his entire body relax ten times more.

He felt his body being lowered until his back met something soft. He sighed contentedly before turning his head to the side as he slowly began to drift away to sleep.

The last thing he heard was a voice telling him goodnight and something soft pressing against his temple.


	10. Gift Shopping

When Sasuke awoke the next morning he noticed two things. One: He was not in his room. And two: His head felt like it was going to split in half.

He groaned loudly before placing both hands on either side of his throbbing head.

 _I will never drink that much again,_ he swore and then blinked to clear his vision.

When his eyes had adjusted to the brightness of the room he decided to get up. The moment he stood up, dizziness overtook and he quickly reached for the wall to keep up his balance. He took a few deep breaths before he considered himself good enough to walk. It took longer than he would've liked before he managed to get out and reach the kitchen.

When he walked in the first thing that greeted him was Naruto. He was standing by the stove with a spatula in hand looking very handsome in a pale blue buttoned down shirt and grey jeans. The raven momentarily forgot about his headache as he looked at the blond.

How he wished to walk over there and wrap his arms around the other. Take in the other's scent before he leaned in and-

 _No._ Sasuke shook his head, ridding himself of the images that had popped up in his head. But by doing so, he got reminded of his splitting headache. He let out a soft groan which made the blond look up and smile at him.

 _Damn Naruto and my feelings,_ he thought in frustration when his heart skipped a beat.

"Good morning," greeted the blond. "Painkillers are in the cupboards on the far right and glasses on the left. Help yourself."

The raven gladly did so as he quickly reached for the items. After gulping down the water he went over to the table and sat down. The pill had yet to work so he had to withstand a few more minutes of pain.

"Would you like something to eat?"

The question had caught Sasuke a bit off guard but he just nodded.

"Got any wishes?"

"No. Surprise me."

The two didn't talk as Naruto made food which looked an awful lot like omelet. The raven was right when after a couple of minutes the blond put the plates down. He had to go back and forth a few more times until everything was on the table and he'd sat down, opposite the raven.

Sasuke dug in and complimented the blond on his cooking skills. The other's response was a large smile that lit up the room more than any lamp light ever could.

The rest of their meal passed on in relative silence with just snippets of conversation a little here and there. When they were done the raven felt good enough to help the blond with the dishes.

"You don't have to," said Naruto at one point.

"I know. But I want to."

The blond didn't do anything else as he just smiled before getting back to work.

When the two were done with the dishes they went into the living room and sat down on the couch for a breather. It was quiet for a while which seemed rather odd to the raven. Naruto has never appeared to be the quiet type. He has always been talkative if a bit noisy and annoying at times. Sasuke almost missed all the noise that would come from his friend.

"I never got the chance to thank you."

The raven looked up at the blond in surprise. "Whatever for?" he asked a bit confused.

"For your present," the blond answered simply. "I can't believe you remember my fondness for foxes."

Sasuke smiled slightly at that. "Me neither. I was a bit surprised that I remember that myself."

They lapsed into another silence, though this one didn't last for very long.

"I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"Oh?" the raven immediately perked up in interest. "And what would that be?"

"I need some help with picking out a suit to wear at Itachi's and Kokoro's wedding."

The raven nodded, understanding where the other was coming from.

"So, will you help me?"

Sasuke didn't need to think about it as he smiled and nodded. He might come to regret it later but right now he didn't care because Naruto was smiling at him.

* * *

"What about this one?" asked Naruto when he stepped out of the small dressing room.

Sasuke looked up and studied him for long moments before shaking his head. "No. Not good enough." He didn't elaborate what wasn't "good enough" as he presented him another pair of suit pants, buttoned down shirt and blazer. "Try these."

The blond sighed. He'd tried on at least six different colored outfits and was getting a bit tired of it. But he didn't say anything to the raven as he took the pieces of clothing and went back into the dressing room to change.

It only took him a few minutes to change and when he had he admired himself in the mirror for a few seconds like he always did. He would agreed that some of the outfits or rather the colors hadn't suited him. His favorites were so far the orange and pale blue one. He drew the cream colored curtain and once again stepped outside where Sasuke stood.

He once again studied the blond before shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath that the other didn't catch. He didn't have time to ask either as new pieces of clothing was thrusted his direction. Again, he kept his comments to himself before going in to change.

When he looked in the mirror this time he thought that the raven must be stupid to turn this one down. The pants and blazer were a dark blue color while the shirt was crispy-white. He drew back the curtain with confidence before stepping out. The sight that met him was a bit different than the usual criticizing onyx eyes of his friend. He seemed a bit frozen and the blond was a bit afraid he'd stopped breathing.

"How is it?" asked Naruto, hoping it would gauge a reaction out of the other.

He felt immense relief when the first thing Sasuke did was draw in a breath before he answered his question. "It's not bad."

"Oh come of it," said the blond. "You know I look great in this."

The raven didn't say anything but he didn't need to for the blond to know what he was truly thinking.

After buying the outfit the two went to a restaurant for lunch. After they had ordered and the waiter had gone Naruto decided to start up a conversation.

"So, what will you be giving them as a wedding present?"

"A bouquet of Casablanca lilies and a coffee machine."

"I take it the flowers has a certain meaning?" he asked.

The raven nodded. "I read that they evoke celebration. And lilies are also one of Kokoro's favorite flowers."

"Wow, you really have thought it through."

"Well, she is my future sister-in-law so I kind of have to."

The blond chuckled a little.

"What about you? What are you going to give them?"

"Er..." the blond said and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't quite know. I was kind of hoping you could help me with that." He looked up at his friend with a sheepish smile.

It was quiet for a moment as Sasuke just stared at Naruto. His eyes showed no emotion which frightened the blond a little. He usually was able to read his friend but at the moment he couldn't.

Finally the raven let out a soft sigh before he said, "Alright fine." The blond sagged with relief. "But you owe me two then."

"That's fine by me."

After lunch they went to the gift shop where Naruto found three or four things that he thought would be appropriate. Sasuke however disagreed.

"What's wrong with giving them coffee mugs?" asked the blond when the other shook his head in disagreement to a pair of white and black mugs where one said "Mrs." and the other "Mr."

"Kokoro doesn't drink coffee. She prefers tea," answered the raven.

"So what? You can drink tea in a coffee mug. Mum does it all the time."

The other had no comeback to that as he turned and went to the other side of the store. The blond smiled feeling victories before he picked up the mugs and put them in the basket he was carrying. He looked around for a bit more until he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. Turning around he came face to face with someone he recognized from work. Or rather, a regular customer at work.

"Oh, hello," he said in greeting to the black-haired girl.

"H – Hello Naruto-san," she greeted back with a small smile. "What b – brings you h – here?"

Naruto waved a hand at the basket he was holding. "Gift shopping. What about you?"

"Same. I'm l – looking for some – something for my c – cousin."

"Ah. And is you and your cousin close?" he asked, trying to make conversation.

She nodded. "We're v – very good f – friends. Even th – though we're four y – years apart."

"Well, it's nice that you're friends."

There was a small pause before Mariko managed to find her courage.

"Um, N – Naruto-san. I – I was w – wondering some – something..."

"Oh?"

"U – Um... W – Well... I was w – wondering, do you have a – a girlfriend Na – Naruto-san?"

The blond looked at Mariko who was avoiding his gaze while her face was rapidly turning a bright shade of red. He was honestly a bit surprised at the black-haired girl's question. He had been told by both Kaede and Konohamaru that Mariko seemed to like him but he always ignored them. Now he vowed never to ignore them again.

"No," he finally said and then decided to add, "And no woman has ever caught my eye either."

"W – what d – do you m – mean?" asked the black-haired girl in slight confusion.

"It means that no matter how attractive or kind a woman is, I will never have any interest in her."

"Oh."

Naruto's heart broke a little at the shattered expression on the other's face. He reached out for her hands and grasped them in his own. The black-haired girl was hesitant at first but eventually lifted her gaze to look at the blond.

"Mariko-chan... Can I call you that?" Again there was slight hesitation in the girl but she eventually nodded. "I think that you're a wonderful young lady. And that any guy out there will be lucky to have you."

The girl was practically oozing with embarrassment. Her face was so red that someone could've mistaken her for a tomato. She murmured her gratitude which the blond accepted with a smile. Mariko shortly left but not before she asked the blond if they could be friends. Naruto was more than happy to say yes and with that she was gone.

"Your kindness really knows no bounds."

Naruto turned around and saw Sasuke standing there. The blond then looked in front, towards the other aisle where the black-haired girl was standing.

"How do you know her?"

The blond glanced over to the right where the raven was now standing before looking back in front.

"From work. She's a regular customer at Sakuranoki. She either comes alone to read or with friends."

He saw a motion at the corner of his eye that could've been the raven nodding. They stood there for a bit longer until Sasuke seemed to remember why they were there in the first place.

The past two hours were spent looking for anything other than the two mugs Naruto had found. In the end nothing was found except for a few items that caught the blonde's interest. They called it a day before going their separate ways.

The blond was tired when he got back home and decided to take a quick shower before going to bed early. As he lied there on the bed he thought about Sasuke. How could he not? Sasuke with all his creamy-white skin, onyx eyes and dark hair.

He imagined running his fingers through the other's hair, tugging at the ends before traveling down his shoulders and back. He imagined the other having smooth skin beneath all that clothing. He wanted nothing more than to feel, smell and taste the other. Hear the man he loved say his name. Hear him when he came undone.

Naruto came back to the present with a violent shudder and muffled moan. He withdrew his hand only to find it sticky with his come. He wondered briefly what had happen before the thought came flashing by.

 _Did I just jerk off while thinking about Sasuke?_ The thought of it made his face heat up in embarrassment.

He has never jerked off while thinking of a person he liked. Well, that wasn't quite true. But those he have were more of men he had found attractive. He has never had a connection with any of them. This was different than that.

Naruto glanced over at the clock and found that it had been only half an hour since he had gone to bed for some sleep and ended up doing this instead. He sighed before getting up and took another quick shower before going to bed, this time strictly not thinking about Sasuke.


	11. The Wedding

**I apologize for the slight delay, but I've been sick the last few days.**

* * *

A month later Naruto found himself standing in front of a large building. It was the summer house Sasuke had told him about where his family usually goes to spend their vacation. It was a two-story high mansion with white walls and a grey roof. The building was surrounded by numerous trees that had all acquired the colors of autumn and was decorated with flowers of different shades of red, yellow and white. There also was a lake to the side which the blond could easily imagine the Uchiha bathing or fishing in.

He stood there, looking out at the water until a gust of wind reminded him where he was standing. He let out a breath that looked like a puff of white smoke before making his way to the front of the building. People were rapidly gathering both outside and inside the place. A sandy path led up to the porch where the double doors had been opened wide to let people in.

Once Naruto had stepped through and taken off his jacket to hang it nearby he let his eyes wander. The inside of the mansion was huge. He had never seen anything like it before and was a bit amazed.

"Naruto!"

The blond turned around at the call of his name and searched the sea of people until his gaze landed on Rin. He walked over to the brunette with a smile on his face and greeted her. She was looking beautiful in a violet long dress and heels. She wore a simple silver heart pendant around her neck and big hoop earrings.

"You look wonderful," he couldn't help but say after they had exchanged greetings with each other.

"I thank you for your compliment," she said with a smile before studying him. "And you look absolutely dashing."

Naruto smiled to show his gratitude. "Are Obito-san and Kakashi-san here?"

"Kakashi is further in with his husband and Obito is with his nephews."

"Will you show me?" he said and stuck his left arm out.

She smiled. "I'll be glad to." And with that she wrapped her arm around his as she pulled him into the direction of where the wedding ceremony was to take place.

The room was huge and decorated with different shades of blue, white and violet flowers. There were rows upon rows of chairs that had been placed in for the guests to sit. And in front where the bride and groom would be standing there was a large window overlooking the fields and a few trees.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by Rin whom led him over to where Kakashi was standing together with a man which the blond assumed was the husband. The two looked their way when they approached.

The man standing beside Kakashi had brown hair that was tied up in ponytail, dark eyes and a scar running across the bridge of his nose. He was wearing a black suit with a white shirt underneath it much like his partner wore.

"Where is Obito?" asked Kakashi as he looked at Rin.

"He's with Itachi and Sasuke," said the brunette.

"Hello Kakashi-san," greeted Naruto with a small smile.

The silver-haired man looked up at him for a moment to nod in greeting before he turned back to his friend. The blond didn't take the man's distance to heart and just smiled as he watched the two friends interact.

"Please excuse my husband's behavior," said a voice in front and he turned towards the brunet. "He's not usually like this."

"I understand." He took a moment's of pause to take a calming breath before introducing himself. "My name is Naruto."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Iruka." They shook hands and then dove into conversation.

"How long have you guys been together?" asked Naruto casually.

"We've been together for nine years, and married for six."

"That's a long time."

Iruka smiled. "Yes. I suppose it is." There was a small pause before he asked, "What about you? Are you single or hooked up?"

"At the moment I'm single," said Naruto. "But I have my eyes set on someone."

"Oh?" the brunet looked at the blond with interest. "May I ask who it is?"

Just as Naruto opened his mouth to answer, said person appeared.

"There you are. I wondered whether you had gotten lost or something."

Naruto turned and smiled at his friend. "Well, as you can see, I didn't."

"No. You didn't," agreed the raven before he studied him. "The suit really fits you."

"And I have you to thank for that."

Sasuke just smiled. "I was going over to see what my parents' are doing. Want to come along?"

"Sure."

The blond said goodbye to the brunet before he turned and followed the raven. Iruka meanwhile had already figured out whom the blond had set his eyes on. He also could tell that the raven must feel something as well for the other. There had just been something in their eyes that spoke volumes.

"Good luck," he whispered as he watched their backs until they disappeared from view.

…

Naruto was a bit nervous as he stood in front of what felt like hundreds of people. He had been asked a week ago to stand in front together with Sasuke and two friends of Itachi's. He had of course agreed to do it and he wasn't sure now if his decision had been the right one. Luckily Sasuke was there, so his anxiety wouldn't overflow.

He decided not to look at the people as his eyes travelled over to where Itachi and the officiant were standing. The older man didn't look nervous at all as he stood there with his hands folded together, looking over at the doors in waiting for the bride to make an appearance.

Naruto had walked together down the aisle just like Sasuke and Itachi's two friends had. The bride's maids had then followed. After them the flower girls and then ring bearer who was Kokoro's niece Kaori had walked down. Now there was only one person left to walk down the aisle.

Music flooded the room before the doors opened to admit the bride and her father. Naruto smiled warmly when he saw Kokoro all dressed up in a beautiful white gown. The people turned their heads around to look at the bride whom walked slowly down the aisle with her father.

When she finally reached the end she came up to stand beside Itachi and in front of the officiant. The music ceased and the officiant began to talk.

Naruto watched the joy that shone in both the eyes of the bride and groom. He had no doubt that they would have a lasting marriage. It might sound a bit cliché, but they were practically made for each other. At least, that's what he thought.

"Kagayaku Kokoro. Do you take Uchiha Itachi to be your wedded husband, to stand with him, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both shall live?" asked the officiant as he turned to look at the bride.

Kokoro glanced over at Itachi before she smiled and said, "I do."

The officiant then turned to look at the groom. "Uchiha Itachi. Do you take Kagayaku Kokoro to be your wedded wife, to stand with her, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and to love, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you have the rings?"

Kaori stepped up and presented the small pillow where two rings were resting on top. Everyone watched as Itachi picked up one of the rings and slid it onto Kokoro's left forth finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you," he said and then smiled.

Kokoro returned the smile before doing the same thing and repeating the words.

"I pronounce you then husband and wife," said the officiant. "You may kiss the bride."

Itachi carefully reached over to lift up the veil before he leaned down and gave a chaste kiss onto his wife's soft lips.

The sounds of clapping hands soon filled the room before the pair pulled away to face the front.

A couple of moments later everyone had gone to the ballroom of the mansion where the reception was to be held. After the guests had sat down and the first course had been served, there was a tinkling sound to catch everyone's attention. Deidara – Itachi's friend and best man – stood up with a glass in hand and a smile playing on his lips. "May I have your attention please?"

The man didn't continue until he had every person's eye on him.

"I want to make a small toast to my best friend Itachi and his lovely wife Kokoro." He took a small pause before he continued, directing his next words to the bride. "I can say with great confidence that you have made this man happier than I have ever had the fortune of seeing." He then turned to his friend whom was looking at him with intense eyes. "All I can say is that you sure know how to pick them," he said with a slight shrug which earned him a couple of laughs and smiles from people.

He then stretched his arm that was holding the glass towards the pair. "Here's to the groom and bride, may your love be everlasting and happiness even more so."

With that there was the maid of honor's turn for a toast which Naruto only listened to with half an ear. Toasts went all around the table until it was Fugaku who stood up. Naruto focused his gaze on the oldest Uchiha as he began to speak.

"I'd like to say a few words to the bride and groom," he said and looked over at Kokoro first. "The first time I met you Kokoro I could tell that you not only were a strong but also a kind woman. I'm honored to call you my daughter-in-law."

Kokoro looked so happy that it wouldn't surprise anyone if she suddenly burst with tears of joy. The oldest Uchiha then turned to his son whom was looking directly at his father.

"I know you have heard this many times before in your life. But I am proud of you, my son." He got a smile from Itachi before turning his attention to both the bride and groom as he raised his glass to them. "I wish for you all the happiness in the world."

He was on his way to sit down but not before Itachi got up and managed to hug his father. Those who sat close by heard him say words of gratitude before they sat back down.

After all the wonderful food, toasts and well-wishes music began to play and the newlyweds made their way over to the dancefloor. People watched them as they moved gracefully to the music. Neither looking away from the other or smile wavering.

When the first song was over, others came to join them for the next. Soon the dancefloor was filled with people dancing all around. Naruto even joined them. He danced with one of the bride's maids for two songs until he had had enough. He bowed and kissed the back of the woman's hand before making his way away from the dancefloor and to a table where Sasuke was sitting.

"Aren't you going to dance?" he asked before sitting down opposite the raven.

"Dancing is not really my thing. I only learned because mother and father deemed it necessary."

The blond nodded before looking over at the people. His eyes traveling from person to person. Some women wore bright colors while others wore much darker ones. His eyes then landed on the newlyweds who were smiling and talking to each other. He truly wished them all the luck in the world.

…

An hour later it was time to cut the cake which was spent with much laughter and a few photos being taken. A few moments after it the groom and bride thanked everybody for being present, and their parents for their love and support.

It was then time for the father and daughter dance along with the mother and son. Itachi took his mother's hand before leading her onto the dancefloor much like Kokoro's father did with her. They were shortly joined with a few parents and their children.

Naruto watched with amusement as the dancing continued until the end of the song. After the dancing it was time for Kokoro to toss the bouquet. One of her bride's maids caught it and was more than thrilled to have done so.

There was then a last dance which was a bit more upbeat than what had been played previously. Naruto even managed to drag Sasuke from the champagne and onto the dancefloor. The raven was incredibly displeased but the blond managed to wipe the scowl away from his face when he pulled him in closer.

He didn't care at that moment if he was being watched by the other Uchiha. He reckoned that at least Mikoto and Kokoro had figured it out by now.

When Naruto came home that night his body was still quivering with excitement and body warmer than usual. He took off his suit and went straight to bed with a big smile on his face. His mind was filled with the things that had occurred earlier that day. It had been exhilarating and wonderful. He would never forget this day and all of the beautiful things he had seen.

* * *

 **This is the very first time I attempted writing a wedding, and it would mean a lot to me if you could tell me how it was.**


	12. I'm Tired

**Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

"Can I take your order?" asked Naruto a man that was sitting by the window reading a book. The man was a regular customer whom came between one and four to sit down by the window and read. He was fairly handsome with sharp features, long messy dark hair and orange eyes.

The man looked up and smiled at the blond before removing his reading glasses and placing his order. "A piece of fruitcake and a cup of coffee please."

The blond wrote it down on the notepad and then turned to walk away. A hand on his wrist stopped him though and he looked down at said hand, following the arm and back to the orange-eyed man.

"Did you want anything else?"

He got no answer but at least the man had let go of his wrist now. The blond watched him as he reached for something in his pocket. He seemed to have found whatever he'd been looking for because he made a small noise of triumph before presenting a folded note to him.

Naruto hesitated for a moment before taking the note and unfolding it. There was a phone number written there. He looked at the orange-eyed man whom was smirking at nothing in particular. He wanted to roll his eyes but refrained from doing so. Instead he folded the piece of paper and put it on the table. The orange-eyed man looked up in surprise, probably not having expected him to do that.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept this."

"Why?" asked the man.

"I'm simply not interested," he said flatly. He then turned around, ready to walk away but was once again stopped. He turned to glare at the man now. _I swear that if this guy doesn't back down soon, I'm going to throw him out._ "What?" he asked tightly.

Before the man could answer the entrance door to the café opened to admit a woman with long purple hair and blue eyes. She was looking Naruto's way but not at him with a murderous glint in her eyes. He felt the hand on his wrist tense up before immediately letting go. He looked over at the orange-eyed man and found him frozen on the spot.

 _I so don't envy you,_ he thought before the woman came over to slap the orange-eyed man across the face.

That apparently was enough for the man to wake up and he hissed in pain before placing a hand on his bruised cheek. He looked up only to see the blue-eyed woman glaring back at him.

"S – Suzume-chan…"

The woman held up a hand to silence the orange-eyed man before speaking. "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear your excuses because there are none you can make. I saw everything through the window."

The man seemed a bit stunned. He kept opening and closing his mouth, not knowing what to say let alone do. He didn't need to say anything though as the woman – or Suzume – continued.

"I honestly don't know what your problem is and frankly, I don't want to know. But what I do know is that you're a lying and cheating prick." She took a moment's pause before continuing. "You have cheated on me four times and all of them I forgave you for it. But this time, I won't. I've had it with you and your fucking insecurities."

The man seemed even more stunned now than before but this time managed to find his voice. "Are – are you breaking up with me?" he asked.

Suzume nodded. "Yes. I am." She reached for something around her neck before placing a necklace with a small blue stone on the table. She then walked out of the café, leaving the orange-eyed man behind.

Naruto stood there watching as the man's world seemed to crumble. He had no sympathy for him though. _He cheated on her four times and was about to do it again._ No. He had no sympathy for him.

"I'll go and get your order," he said quietly before turning around and this time walking away.

…

His phone started to ring just when his shift ended. He picked up the device and looked at the screen before answering it.

"Hey dad."

" _Hello son. How are you doing? How's work been?"_

Naruto smiled as he happily told his father what had happened the past few weeks.

" _I heard that the wedding was spectacular from Mikoto and Fugaku,"_ said Minato.

"Yeah. It was." The blond paused for a moment and then asked, "Is there a reason on why you called?"

" _Yes. There actually is."_ It was silent for a moment on the other end before Minato spoke again. _"Your mother and I were wondering what you plan to do on Christmas."_

Naruto stopped to think about that for a moment until he answered. "I honestly don't know. The Uchiha are having a Christmas party on the 20th that I plan to go to. But after that I don't know. I guess I'll come over to you guys."

" _That sounds good. I'll let your mother know as soon as she gets back from the barn."_

"Okay. I'll see you then."

" _Bye Naruto."_

"Bye dad."

The call ended and Naruto put his phone back in his pocket. The trip home was as short as always. When he arrived Gaara was sitting on the couch watching TV.

"Hello," greeted the blond as he walked in and sat down beside the red-head.

"Hey, how was work?"

"Fine for the most part. Though something interesting happened."

"Oh?" the red-head looked at the blond in slight interest.

Naruto smiled and told his friend what had happened. When he finished Gaara was shaking his head. "What an asshole."

"Yeah," said the blond. "He still tried hitting on me after he overcame the shock."

"Not only is he a cheating asshole but he's also an idiot," said the red-head in slight disbelief. He then turned to look at the blond. "What did you do?"

"I simply told him that if he doesn't stop, then he's banned from the café."

"You can do that?"

The blond nodded. "If I just call the manager and tell her of the customer harassing me, they can be banned."

The red-head looked impressed. "And? Did he stop?"

"Yes."

There was small silence until Gaara decided to ask his roommate about his friend and him. He could see there was more going on than just friendship between the two. It was more than obvious at the blonde's birthday when they were playing truth or dare.

"When are you going to tell him?" he asked, deciding to go straight to the point.

Naruto looked up in surprise at the red-head's question. He had never been asked directly on what to do. He knew Kaede knew since she hinted on it at times. And he knew Kokoro and Mikoto must know of his feelings for his friend. But he hadn't counted on Gaara knowing, which surprised him a little when he was the one to voice the question the others probably wants to know the answer to.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I guess I'm still waiting for an opportunity to tell him."

The red-head could understand that. He could imagine it to be difficult to tell your best friend that you feel more for them than just friendship. Especially since there's a chance of being rejected. That had been Gaara's fear when he'd decided not to act on his feelings for Neji. He has been rejected by his father and a few people he once had called "friends." So he knew what the blond was going through.

The two sat there watching TV until it was time to make dinner. In the middle of eating the red-head decided to ask the question he'd been wanting an answer to for a while.

"What will you say?"

Naruto looked up from his food and at Gaara in confusion. "Say what?"

"When you see an opportunity to tell him, what will you say?"

The blond frowned slightly at the red-head. "Why do you want to know?"

The other shrugged. "Just curious."

The blond leaned back and thought about it for a moment. It took him a while before he had an answer to his friend. "If I do see an opportunity, I'll probably just be straightforward."

"Like how? 'I like you, will you go out with me?' Like that you mean?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Gaara didn't comment as he turned back to eat his food. Naruto shortly followed as the rest of their meal was spent in silence.

* * *

Four days later Naruto found himself accompanying Sakura and her three friends Tamaki, Matsuri and Shin to go see a movie. He had been a bit reluctant, much like when he'd accompanied Kokoro with her friends to go shopping. He had been worried over nothing though as the hours passed.

Tamaki was a sweet girl who lived together with her grandmother and several cats. She seemed to like the colors red and white because that's what she picked out when they went to a clothing shop after the movie.

Matsuri seemed a bit shy when they were first introduced, though she seemed to slowly come out of her shell the more time they spent together. He found he quite enjoyed her company. She was politer than most people he's met were – excluding the Uchiha – and also was a regular at Kokushin. He had also found out that she had a crush on a certain red-haired bartender to which the blond had decided not to say anything about. Though that did not mean he couldn't warn said person that he's captured a girl's eye.

Shin was an interesting guy. He came to realize quite quickly that they were pretty similar. Their taste in music, movies and clothing was the same. And they also were both considered loud and at times impatient on certain things by their friends. Shin also told the blond that he knew of him before they officially met. It seemed that Sai – the guy from Kokushin – was Shin's adoptive brother. Naruto didn't ask what Sai had told Shin because he wasn't that interested in knowing. He could've told the other lies about his appearance or how he had acted and he wouldn't care.

All in all the day went on smoothly. The five decided to go to the lake as their final destination. The air was cold and sky cloudy. The grass showed signs of frost but it had yet to snow. The lake also had yet to freeze over. There were only a few people at the lake. An older couple sitting at a bench looking out at the water, a group of teenagers that were taking pictures, and a woman the blond recognized all too well.

"Well, well, look who we've got here," said Ino as she walked up to the blond. She seemed not to have noticed the other four that were with him as her pale blue eyes were focused on him. "What brings you out here, Namikaze?"

"I'm here with my friends," he said, gesturing to the four behind him.

Ino's eyes looked up as her smug look turned into surprise and then confusion. The blond didn't need to look behind him to know that she was looking at Sakura. The pinkette had told him that she hadn't contacted Ino in months. So she knew nothing of the pinkette's apology to him and becoming his friend.

"Sakura? What happened? What have you done to your hair?" she asked, the questions tumbling out of her mouth. She then studied her friend a bit more. "What _are_ you wearing?"

"It's me Ino. Nothing's happened really, I just realized that I was making mistakes that I wanted to correct. I cut my hair, as you can probably see. And I'm wearing the type of clothes that I think fits me."

Naruto was impressed by how calm Sakura seemed to be. She looked at her friend – or perhaps former friend – with a blank look when she answered the questions. The blond looked back at Ino who seemed to be in a state of shock. Like she couldn't believe what she was hearing let alone seeing.

She finally managed to come out of her stupor and find her voice. "Why?" She seemed more confused now than before.

"Because I'm tired of pretending," said Sakura. "I'm tired of being something that I'm not. This girl who spend her time going after someone she's loved for years and changed the way she looks and acts just because she thought that it would make them like her is not me. I realize that now."

"What about Sasuke-kun? Or Itachi-san? Neither of them will look at you now."

"That's where you're wrong Ino. Sasuke-kun actually acknowledges me more now than he's ever done. As for Itachi-san, he is married and I never had any feelings for him in the first place. I won't lie and say I didn't find him attractive but I didn't really _feel_ anything for him. He was just someone I admired, that's all."

Ino stood there in complete shock while Naruto was looking at Sakura proudly. He glanced over at Tamaki, Matsuri and Shin who were looking at her in much the same way. He knew it mustn't be easy to stand up to someone you thought was your friend. But if said friend was doing something you knew was wrong then you had only two choices: Take a stand or go along with it. And Sakura had decided to take a stand.

She had told the blond of how tired she was of pretending and he had actually been the one to accompany her when she went to the salon for a haircut. The pinkette had told him afterwards that she felt much lighter, like a lot of weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Ino was silent for a long time. But when she finally managed to say something, she turned to him and glared. "This is all your fault," she hissed. "If you hadn't come from the country in the first place, this wouldn't have happened."

Naruto shrugged. "Blame me all you want. I regret nothing."

"And neither do I."

Ino turned back to her so-called friend in surprise. "How can you say that?" she asked confused. She then shook her head as if trying to clear it. "I don't know you anymore."

"Well, you never truly did." Sakura knew it was cruel to say something like that, but it was the truth. "The Sakura you knew and the Sakura I am are two different people. Unlike you, I didn't really like treating people the way I did. But I did it because I did not want to lose you as a friend."

The pinkette could clearly see her friend struggling with herself. She probably was still shocked and felt betrayed. But her eyes shone with something completely different.

"I don't blame you for anything Ino, since it was my choice to follow you. I won't be selfish to think that the bad decisions I made were because of you. You influenced me, yes. But it was still my choice. I should've been braver and told you "no" but I didn't."

Ino was silent for a couple of more minutes before she managed to get some words out. "So this is it then? The end of our friendship, I mean?" She said the words as if she didn't care whether the answer was "yes" or "no".

"I don't know, is it?" asked Sakura.

The blonde woman looked away from her friend and back at Naruto. She sneered at him which the other had expected. She then turned back to look at the pinkette. "There's no way I would want to be friends with someone like you."

Sakura had been expecting it but it still hurt to hear those words. She didn't let it show on her face though as she gave the other a blank look. "I could say the same thing about you. And I know for a fact that Sasuke-kun will never like a person like you."

"How dare you!" she exclaimed in anger, catching the attention of the older couple sitting on the bench. "You know nothing about Sasuke-kun."

"On the contrary Ino, I know a lot about him," said the pinkette with a smirk that reminded Naruto of said raven. "I know what he likes and dislikes. And the number one thing he hates."

"Oh? And what's that?" asked Ino half curious.

"People like you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that he will never look at you, no matter what you do. Because he hates people who are dishonest and bullies others to get what they want."

"I have never bullied anyone-"

"What about Hinata in high school?"

"That was just slight teasing…"

"And Matsuri?" she asked, turning towards said brunet. "Was that also just "slight teasing" to push her in the locker and call her a good for nothing crybaby?" she got no answer. "See? You are a bully. And frankly, I don't want a bully as my friend."

"Screw you!" Ino exclaimed, her face rapidly turning scarlet with anger.

She then stalked over to Sakura, with her hand raising. Her palm didn't connect anywhere as Naruto grabbed her wrist.

"Let me go!" she yelled and the blond did.

"I know you're angry, but you should calm yourself. You're causing a scene," he gestured around the park with his hand where some people had stopped to look at them. "And I also think that we should go." He turned to the others who nodded.

Before they could leave though Ino's taunting voice stopped them. "Oh? So you're running away?"

The blond sighed before turning around to face the fair-haired woman. "No. We're not. What we are doing is leaving because there's nothing more we want to say. Or would you like it if we stayed?" He got no response. "I didn't think so. Goodbye." And with that he turned around and the five left the park.

Naruto had no doubt that it was not the last time he would see Ino. He was certain he would see the woman some more. And when that happened, he had no doubt that she would act even worse than what she had. He sighed. It would be a challenge. Good thing he liked challenges.


	13. Under the Mistletoe

**Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

It was cold outside. Then again, it was in the middle of December. The ground was covered with the snow that had fallen two days ago. Konoha meanwhile had been decorated in Christmas colors, making it look almost enchanting.

Naruto wandered down the streets of the city wearing a thick orange coat, black gloves and a blue scarf his mother had knitted for him last Christmas. He felt almost ten years younger than he actually was with all the emotions going through him. Autumn may be his favorite season, but his favorite holiday was defiantly Christmas. It just carried an air around it that made him feel all giddy and happy inside.

The blond stopped for a moment to look into a window on a shop that sold bathing soaps, makeup and perfume. He looked up until his gaze fell on the sign with big purple letters that spelled out the shop's name "Kaguwashii." He didn't stand for long as he decided to go in and see if they had something his mother might like.

The inside was a lot warmer than the outside. Naruto unzipped his jacket, loosened the scarf and took off his gloves before he looked around. On the left side of the shop there were shelves with a range of lipsticks, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, glitter, lip gloss, and even nail polish. On the right there was a range of perfume bottles and different types of bathing products. A certain product caught his eye and he slowly made him way to the shelf. He reached over and picked up the heart shaped box with three white soaps in the shape of a rose. There were three other colors as he looked up. One with red, another with lavender, and the last with pink.

Naruto didn't know if his mother even liked roses. He knew for a fact she loved sunflowers and tulips. But roses? He had no idea. In the end, he bought the white and red rose soaps along with a lipstick that he thought would look good on her. His mother really wasn't one to wear makeup, but she still appreciated it if you got her some.

Now he only had two people left, his father and godfather. For his father he went into a jewelry store and bought a watch while for his godfather he went to the bookstore and bought a book that he thought the pervert would be interested in.

When he was done buying the gifts for his family he started to make his way home. It took a bit longer than usual but that did not matter much.

Ten minutes later he arrived at the apartment. He found Gaara in the kitchen on the phone looking distressed.

"I don't know if I can," he was saying. "What if they don't like me? What if they're like father? I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." There was a pause that lasted for a good five minutes and then a sigh. "Can you please give me some time to think about it?" Another pause. "Thank you Neji. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye."

Naruto watched as Gaara let out another sigh before he decided to speak. "Trouble in paradise?"

The red-head turned to look at him and shook his head. "No. Not really. Just…"

The blond waited but when nothing was said for long minutes he decided to ask, "Just, what?"

The red-head ran a hand through his hair. "Neji wants me to come to this Christmas party the Hyuga are having."

"Well, isn't that good then?" asked the blond before he sat down on a chair. "You get to meet his family."

"Exactly. I get to meet his family for the first time." He sighed once more. "He also hasn't told them that he's gay."

"Oh." Naruto was honestly a bit surprised that the brunet hadn't told his family yet. Then again, everyone was different. He probably had a reason for not telling them.

 _First things first,_ he thought as he watched his friend's still distressed face. He opened his mouth and said as gently as he possibly could, "Come here Gaara."

The red-head hesitated for a moment but eventually made his way over to the table.

"Take a seat," said the blond, gesturing to the chair opposite him.

Gaara followed his instructions as he took the seat opposite of him. He placed his hands on top of the wooden surface before looking up at the blond with half curious, half worried eyes.

Naruto gave the other a reassuring look before he grabbed one of his hands and said, "What I am about to tell you is something my mother told me before coming here." He took a small pause to take a deep breath before continuing. "It's fine if you're scared. It's okay if you're nervous. No one is going to judge you for it. Not when it's something you've never done before."

He felt Gaara relax as his hand went almost slack in his hold. He also saw the tension in his shoulders fade and his face looked less anxious now.

"I was absolutely terrified before coming to the city. "What do I do? How do I act? What if going is a huge mistake?" That's what I was thinking at the time. And I'm guessing that it's something similar to you?" The red-head nodded. "Will you tell me what you're thinking? What it is that actually worries you?"

It took Gaara a moment for him to respond. "I'm afraid that they'll react in the same matter my father and friends did. That they'll call me disgusting, or tell me to get some help to cure this disease I carry. I'm afraid-"

He was cut off by his throat closing in and he could feel tears forming in his eyes. He brought his free hand to hide part of his face, not wanting the blond to see.

"It's okay. Take your time."

Gaara removed his hand enough so that he could see Naruto smiling softly at him. He wasn't judging him of feeling what he was because he knew. He knew it was hard because he'd had experience with it. He might not have had something like this and their lives may have been different. But at least they had something more in common, the fear of doing wrong.

He rubbed the tears away and took a deep breath before continuing where he left off. "I'm afraid of being a burden. I don't want to be the cause of Neji getting thrown out of the family like I did."

The blond watched his friend in silence. He could understand where the red-head was coming from since he'd told him of his past. Of how difficult it was to grow up and be something he's not. How painful it was to hear from your own father that his sexuality was something to be ashamed of.

"Gaara," he began to catch the other's attention. "I have no words to reassure you that it's going to be fine because there's a possibility that it won't. But what I am going to say that if it does comes down to them blaming you for turning Neji gay, or saying anything bad about either of you, then I want you to stand up for yourself."

The other visibly gulped. "I – I don't think I can-"

"You can," said Naruto and gave his hand a light squeeze. "Because you're strong and I believe you can do this." He smiled then as he thought of something. "And you won't be alone. You'll have Neji there with you."

It was quiet for a moment until Gaara seemed to come to a conclusion in his head. "I'll try."

The blond gave him a beaming smile. "That's good to hear." He gave the red-head's hand another squeeze before letting go. "I think Neji will be delighted to hear that." He then got up and left the kitchen.

* * *

"Naruto!" exclaimed an excited Kokoro before wrapping her arms around the man.

The blond smiled as he returned the hug. They pulled away a minute later and she went to study him.

"You're looking nice. Trying to impress anyone?" she asked a bit teasingly.

Naruto had decided to go for something similar like he had at Sasuke's birthday, not too formal and not too casual or sloppy. He wore a light blue buttoned down shirt and a pair of white pants. He wanted to stand out a bit more today because it was close to Christmas and also because he wanted to look good for his friend.

"I don't know. Am I?" he retorted back with a cheeky grin.

Kokoro just laughed in response before she turned and walked back to where the music and chatter was coming from. The blond followed her after he had hung up his coat. The moment he walked in he heard a voice calling his name and looked to the bar where Rin, Obito and Kakashi stood. He walked up to the three with a smile on his face.

"Good evening," he greeted them with a slight bow.

"Good evening," greeted Rin back politely and curtsied. She then immediately dropped the act as she walked up and hugged him.

Naruto hugged her back and then shortly pulled away to study her. The brunette was wearing a white shirt, a brown skirt that ended by her knees and heels to match her clothes. She was also wearing the same necklace she had at Itachi's and Kokoro's wedding.

"You're as beautiful as always," he said.

Rin as usual laughed before she replied with something similar. "And you're as handsome as always."

"Alright, are you guys done fooling around?" asked Obito as he walked up to them.

"It's not fooling around to tell somebody they look good," said the blond.

"That's right. It's nice and polite to tell someone they look good." The brunette looked at the black-haired man.

"What if they don't?"

"Then its best if you don't say anything," said the two in unison. They shared a smile with each other and talked for a bit more with Obito trying to butt in on the conversation.

Naruto knew why the guy was doing it and was not afraid to tell him in front of the person he liked exactly what was on his mind.

"Ask already." He looked at Obito when he said those two words.

He got a confused look from him. "Ask what?"

"Ask her out."

Those three words were enough to make the black-haired man freeze on the spot.

Rin looked at her friend in curiosity. "You have someone you like?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

The Uchiha's face was rapidly turning a dark shade of pink as he avoided the brunette's gaze. "N – No."

"You do!" she exclaimed looking beyond excited. "Who is it? Who is it?" she asked as she went up to him. "Is it someone I know?"

Obito looked away from the brunette to ask Kakashi for help only to find him gone, and so was Naruto when he looked. Great.

He looked back at Rin who was now listing off names of women he barely even knew. As he stood there looking at the brunette he realized that the blond was right. What was the point of hiding his feelings anymore? The worst thing that could happen would be him getting rejected.

He took a deep breath before he decided to just do it. "Rin."

The brunette stopped mid-sentence and looked up at him. "Yes?"

Obito decided then that it was now or never. He cleared his throat before he spoke the three words that he thought he'd never say. "I love you."

Rin looked at him in surprise with her mouth hanging a bit open. She had yet to say anything, much less move and it was sending Obito into a fit of panic as he began to try and explain himself.

"I didn't say anything because I knew you liked Kakashi. And when Kakashi said he was gay you seemed so crushed but I couldn't comfort you because I was afraid that I would take advantage of you. Even after Kakashi got together with Iruka and they married I still couldn't say anything. I was afraid. Afraid that if I did tell you then I would lose you. And I didn't want that. I'm so sorry Rin. I should've told you sooner."

He bowed his head in shame when he reached the end of his little speech. He had no more words he could tell her. None that sounded good anyway. He was now waiting for a reaction and was ready for the rejection.

Many minutes passed before he felt a hand grab his jaw to make him look up. He met the brown eyes of his long-time crush that were shinning with something he'd not expected to see there.

"Took you long enough." And without further words or warning she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.

The kiss surprised Obito to such a high degree that he gasped in surprise. He eventually relaxed though and slowly put his arms around Rin. She followed his movements as her arms went around his neck as the kiss deepened.

They pulled away though when they heard a voice from in front of them. Obito looked only to find his sister standing there with a big smile on her face.

"I'm so happy for you two," said Mikoto.

"Neechan." Obito could clearly feel his face flaming up and he glanced over at Rin only to find her smiling back at his sister.

"Thank you Mikoto-san. I'll be sure to make Obito happy," she said and leaned on the man himself.

The male Uchiha felt his heart beat rapidly and his blush deepening. He then cleared his throat as he put an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "I'll do the same."

Mikoto smiled. "Well, you have my blessing."

Meanwhile as this was going on, Naruto had gone in search for a certain raven. He was clearly not in the living room because he would've spotted him by then, he had also checked the kitchen and his bedroom. The only other place where he could imagine him being was outside on the balcony. The balcony was located in the kitchen where he hadn't thought of checking before.

It didn't take the blond long until he was outside. The cold air hit him harshly but he didn't much care for it as he looked in front where a dark figure was standing. He could faintly smell the scent of cigarettes and see the trail of grey smoke as he came closer until he was standing beside them.

"I finally found you," he said with a small smile.

Sasuke jumped before he turned around and saw the blond standing there. "You surprised me." He had been standing out here, thinking about some things and hadn't heard anyone approach.

"Sorry." The blond smiled apologetically at him.

The raven shrugged and took another drag from his cigarette. Naruto watched him as the smoke came out in a rush from his parted lips. His eyes then travelled around the other's body. He was wearing a black jacket over a dark blue shirt and black pants. The dark colors made his skin look even paler. And with the snowy background it just made this perfect picture of how beautiful the raven really was.

The blonde's thoughts were interrupted by a sudden sneeze and he shuddered a little as he was reminded that he was standing out in the cold not wearing a jacket. Sasuke seemed to realize this as well because he began scolding him.

"Fuck. Naruto, what are you doing without a jacket on?" Before the blond could answer the raven had taken a hold of his wrist. "You're cold. Come on, let's go back in." He put out his cigarette before he practically dragged the other back to the door and inside.

Naruto breathed out a sigh in relief as warmth rushed over him, wrapping him around in a tight blanket. He heard the sound of the door to the balcony close before Sasuke came in his view.

The raven took a hold of the other's hands that were so cold in his. He couldn't believe the blond had been stupid enough not to put anything on before going out. It was winter now damn it. He was so focused on warming up the blonde's hands that he didn't notice how close they were standing.

"Sasuke."

He looked up at the call of his name and his breath caught in his throat at the look the other was giving him. The raven opened his mouth to speak but could find no words to say. Instead he just continued staring at the blond who was starring right back.

"Sasuke… I…" began Naruto but was interrupted before he could say anymore.

"Oh." The two boys turned towards the voice. Sasuke hastily let go off Naruto's hands when he realized he was still holding them. Kokoro was standing in the middle of the room, her gaze wasn't directed at them though. No. She was looking a bit up.

The two boys followed her gaze and their eyes widened simultaneously. There, just a little above their heads hang a mistletoe. Naruto looked back at Sasuke who was looking a bit horrified.

"Well, you two probably know the drill. Go on, don't mind me," said Kokoro, trying very hard not to smile.

The raven turned to his sister-in-law. "Are you kidding me? There's no way we're going to kiss."

Hearing Sasuke say those words hurt. But Naruto wouldn't let the emotion show on his face.

"You know what will happen if you don't," warned Kokoro.

"I don't believe in such things as bad luck," said Sasuke as he crossed him arms over his chest.

"It's not just any bad luck. It's the kind where you won't find any happiness the upcoming year."

The raven just rolled his eyes at his sister-in-law. It was quiet for a moment and before either Uchiha could say anything, the blond spoke.

"Why not?"

The raven immediately turned back to the blond with his eyes wide. "What did you say?" he asked quietly.

"I said, why not? It's just a kiss." The blond tried to sound as indifferent as possible which was hard because inside his heart was beating rapidly.

Sasuke was quiet for a moment until he sighed. "Fine. But make sure to keep it short."

"I will," said Naruto, though he knew that it was nothing more than a lie. He then reached over and placed a hand on the other's shoulder.

The raven had shut his eyes and had his lips in a firm line, as if he knew that the kiss he was about to get would turn out to be the worst. The blond again felt a pang of pain but like before he didn't let it show on his face even though the other couldn't see. He then placed his other hand on the raven's cheek before leaning down and softly placed his lips on the other's.

Sasuke couldn't believe that he was letting this happen. He shut his eyes the moment he felt the blonde's hand on his shoulder. A moment later he felt something soft and warm touch his cheek and before he knew it something else was pressing on his lips. He couldn't help but tense up, having not expected the blond to kiss him so soon. But damn was it wonderful.

He felt himself relax which was the least thing he wanted to do. And that was when he noticed something. Why wasn't Naruto pulling away? Surely they were done the moment their lips connected. So, why wasn't he pulling away?

Sasuke opened his eyes and took a step back, making their lips disconnect. He looked up at the blond in confusion who was gazing right back at him. There was an emotion in those cerulean-blue eyes. A strong emotion which the raven had never seen before. He quickly glanced away from the blond and went to clear his throat.

"Since we're done. I'm-"

"No."

The raven looked back at the blond. "W – What?" he asked in confusion.

"We're not done yet." And without further words he leaned in and kissed him square on the mouth.

Sasuke's first reaction was to get away but Naruto seemed to have figured that out because he had put his arm around his waist, holding him in place. The raven didn't fight anymore as he began to relax. The blond tasted of mint and something else that he could not name. All he knew was that it was wonderful.

The blond pulled away a moment later and opened his eyes that he had shut. The sight that met him was of the raven looking at him with a peculiar expression. He wasn't tense anymore at least, which was good.

"Do you regret it?" he asked softly.

He watched as the raven seemed to think about the question before shaking his head. "No. As much as I want to regret it, I don't."

"Why is that?" asked the blond with a frown. "Why do you want to regret it?"

"Because..." the raven trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. He looked to the side to see if Kokoro was still standing in the room but found that she wasn't there.

"Sasuke?"

The raven turned back to the blond and he swallowed the lump in his throat before he said, "Because I don't want to lose you."

"What makes you think you'll lose me?"

"You won't want to go anywhere near me once you find out..."

"About what?"

Sasuke looked away when he answered the question. "That I like you."

Silence fell and during that time the raven was having an inner panic attack. He wanted to run away and hide in his room but the arm around his waist held him firmly in place.

"I like you too."

Those simple words made him look back at the blond. "What?"

"I like you too," said Naruto with a warm smile. "I wouldn't have kissed you a second time if I didn't."

The raven was silent for a few minutes before he said, "You gotta be kidding me."

The blond shook his head. "I'm not. I'm very serious." He then leaned in and placed their foreheads together. "Sasuke, will you go out with me?"

Said raven couldn't believe what he was hearing. He must be dreaming. But somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that this was reality. He felt like laughing and crying at the same time. He was so overcome with joy. Naruto returned his feelings.

He leaned closer in and gave the blond a peck on the lips before he said, "Yeah. I'll go out with you."

* * *

 **Kaguwashii - Fragrant**


	14. Acceptance

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **By the way, this chapter follows Gaara.**

* * *

Gaara was standing in the kitchen on the phone with Neji. The brunet had called to tell him about a party the Hyuga were having. He had asked the red-head to come and meet his family but Gaara had refused.

"I don't know if I can. What if they don't like me? What if they're like father? I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."

" _I won't. And I know that they'll like you whether you're gay or not."_

"How can you be so certain when you haven't even told them you're gay?" He wanted to ask but decided not to. He stood there for who knows how long until a sigh escaped his lips. "Can you please give me some time to think about it?"

He heard some shuffling on the other side before Neji's voice said, _"Alright. Take your time."_

"Thank you Neji. I'll talk to you later, okay? Bye." And with that the red-head hung up.

He stood in the middle of the kitchen thinking about the brunet's request. He let out another sigh.

"Trouble in paradise?"

Gaara turned around and saw Naruto standing there. He shook his head. "No. Not really. Just…" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

The blond was silent for a moment before he said, "Just, what?"

The red-head ran a hand through his hair. "Neji wants me to come to this Christmas party the Hyuga are having."

"Well, isn't that good then?" asked the blond before he sat down on a chair. "You get to meet his family."

"Exactly. I get to meet his family for the first time." He sighed once more. "He also hasn't told them that he's gay."

"Oh." The blond was silent for a moment as Gaara thought about what to do. Then he heard the other's voice again. "Come here Gaara."

The red-head looked at the blond who seemed a lot more serious now than before. He hesitated for a moment but eventually walked over to his friend.

"Take a seat," he said and gestured to the chair opposite him.

The red-head complied as he took a seat opposite the other. He placed his hands on top of the wooden surface before looking up at the blond both worried and curious about what he wanted.

Naruto gave him a reassuring look that made him relax a little before he reached over to grab his hand. "What I am about to tell you is something my mother told me before coming here." There was small pause as he watched the other take a deep breath before continuing. "It's fine if you're scared. It's okay if you're nervous. No one is going to judge you for it. Not when it's something you've never done before."

Gaara instantly relaxed when he heard the other say that. It was as if he'd wanted someone to say that.

"I was absolutely terrified before coming to the city. "What do I do? How do I act? What if going is a huge mistake?" That's what I was thinking at the time. And I'm guessing that it's something similar to you?" The red-head nodded. "Will you tell me what you're thinking? What it is that actually worries you?"

It took Gaara a moment for him to respond. "I'm afraid that they'll react in the same matter my father and friends did. That they'll call me disgusting, or tell me to get some help to cure this disease I carry. I'm afraid-"

He was cut off by his throat closing in and he could feel tears forming in his eyes. He brought his free hand to hide part of his face, not wanting the blond to see.

"It's okay. Take your time."

The gentleness of the voice made him remove his hand enough so that he could see Naruto smiling at him. He could clearly see from that look that the other wasn't judging him of feeling what he was because he knew. He knew it was hard because he'd had experience with it. He might not have had something like this and their lives may have been different. But at least they had something more in common, the fear of doing wrong.

He rubbed the tears away and took a deep breath before continuing where he left off. "I'm afraid of being a burden. I don't want to be the cause of Neji getting thrown out of the family like I did."

There was another pause that lasted for a while before the blond spoke up again. "Gaara," he began and the red-head looked at him. "I have no words to reassure you that it's going to be fine because there's a possibility that it won't. But what I am going to say that if it does comes down to them blaming you for turning Neji gay, or saying anything bad about either of you, then I want you to stand up for yourself."

Gaara visibly gulped. "I – I don't think I can-"

"You can," said Naruto and gave his hand a light squeeze. "Because you're strong and I believe you can do this." He smiled at the red-head which always made him feel good. "And you won't be alone. You'll have Neji there with you."

Gaara thought about it for a moment until he came to a decision. "I'll try."

The blond gave him a beaming smile. "That's good to hear." He gave his hand another squeeze before letting go. "I think Neji will be delighted to hear that." The blond then got up and left the kitchen.

The red-head watched the other leave before he picked up his phone again and dialed Neji. It didn't take long for the brunet to answer.

" _Hello?"_

"Hello Neji, its Gaara."

" _Gaara? Why are you calling? I thought that you needed some time to think."_

"Yeah, and I have."

" _Oh."_ The brunet sounded surprised which made the red-head smile.

"I would like to meet your family. Is that okay?"

He heard an intake of breath before the voice of his lover gave an answer, _"It's more than okay. It's wonderful."_

"So, I'll see you in a week?" he asked.

" _Yes. I'll pick you up. Does two sound good?"_

"Yes. Bye Neji."

" _Bye."_

* * *

A week later the red-head was standing in the kitchen fidgeting. His blond roommate sat by the table eating lunch as he watched his friend. Gaara glanced over at the watch again, it read that it was five minutes left until two.

Naruto couldn't take the fidgeting of the other for very long as he put down the cutlery and then stood up. Without a word he walked over and wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him in close.

Gaara was surprised by the sudden warmth but welcomed it gladly as he relaxed in the other's embrace. They stayed like that for a while until the blond pulled away and they locked eyes.

"Feeling any better?" he asked.

Gaara nodded slowly, now understanding why the blond had suddenly hugged him. "Yes. Thank you."

Naruto smiled and gave him a pat on the shoulder before he went back to his half eaten lunch. The last few minutes seemed to pass by rather quickly now and before he knew it the doorbell rang. He looked at the blond for a second who had a reassuring look in his eyes. The red-head smiled, glad that the other was his friend before he went to open the door.

"Hey," was the first thing he said when he saw Neji standing there in front of him.

"Hello," greeted Neji before he leaned in to give Gaara a kiss on the cheek.

The red-head had told him early on that he had never been in a relationship with anyone and therefore had difficulty in expressing himself when it came to affection. The brunet had told him something similar, but unlike him he had no real issue with expressing it but took some precaution and would often warn him before doing anything. Gaara liked that and after a while he'd gotten used to little things as holding hands and kisses on the cheek as a way to greet each other. They still hadn't done much sexually but they tended to talk about it every so often. The red-head having told him he hadn't done it yet and the brunet having had sex before. It had been an embarrassing but also fun time.

"Shall we go?" asked Neji with a smile and raised eyebrow.

Gaara returned the smile and nodded. He went back into the apartment for a jacket and pair of gloves before he stepped out. When he turned to close the door Naruto stood in the hallway.

"Good luck," he said with a big smile.

The red-head nodded, thankful for the kind words before he shut the door. He turned to Neji and said, "Let's go." Before taking the other's hand in his.

To say that Gaara was nervous was an understatement, he was absolutely terrified. He kept close to the brunet as they went up the stairs leading to the mansion but not too close so it looked suspicious. When they were standing inside the mansion he felt a little bit better but it didn't last for long as they were led to the ballroom. The red-head wanted to faint, there were so many people there already.

"Take a deep breath," said a gentle voice beside him and he turned to find Neji looking at him.

The red-head followed the other's instructions and it didn't take long until he'd calmed himself. "Thank you," he said the moment his voice worked again.

He got a soft smile in response before the other moved and Gaara followed after him. The ballroom they were in was huge for a lack of a better word. It had a few big windows and a set of doors that led outside to a balcony. The floor was made out of some dark wood and walls a soft shade of brown. It was in no doubt a very beautiful place.

"Father."

The voice of his lover brought him back and as he looked in front there stood a man which strongly resembled the brunet who stood beside him. The man had long dark brown hair and white eyes. He wore a black and white suit much like what Neji was wearing.

"Neji, it's good to see you son," he said and shook the younger brunet's hand. His eyes then turned and landed on the red-head which was slightly hiding behind his son. "Who's this?" he asked as he glanced towards Neji.

"This is Gaara, father. The man I told you about?" said the brunet as he took a step away from the red-head so that his father could see him.

"Oh yes, now I remember. Sabaku Gaara right?" he said and stretched out his hand for a handshake to the nervous red-head.

Gaara slowly but surely accepted the hand as he responded quietly, "Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you Hyuga-san."

"The pleasure is all mine." He smiled which made the red-head relax a bit. "And please call me Hizashi."

The red-head couldn't do anything else but nod. The two then moved away from Hizashi to a man who looked exactly like him, though this man gave him a bad feeling while Neji's father gave him a good one.

"Uncle." The man turned and looked over at Neji. His stern expression did not change but his eyes seemed less strict. He watched as his lover bowed to the man before him and he went to follow suit.

"And who might you be?"

The red-head felt his back stiffen but tried his best to appear calm. "My name is Sabaku Gaara, Neji's friend." The brunet had told him to call him that when meeting his family and after they've gotten the chance to know him a little he would break down the news.

Neji's uncle studied Gaara for a moment until he seemed to come to a conclusion in his mind. "My name is Hyuga Hiashi. Head of Hyuga Cooperation."

The red-head had heard of the head of the Hyuga before, from his father. He bowed deeply. "It's an honor to meet you Hyuga-sama."

The stern-looking Hyuga seemed pleased at the young man's behavior. He only showed it briefly though but the red-head managed to catch the look before it completely disappeared. He then excused himself from the two, saying that he had to welcome some people.

The red-head let out a breath of relief when he was gone.

"Are you alright?" asked Neji.

Gaara nodded.

"Ready to meet my cousins?" he asked and held out his arm.

The red-head smiled before enveloping his own arm around the other's.

…

"Father, Uncle, Hinata-san, Hanabi-chan, there's something I need to tell you."

Gaara and Neji had gone around to introduce the red-head to the brunet's cousins and a few of his friends. Hinata had seemed nervous but also a kind person and Hanabi had been very polite.

Now it was a few hours later and the brunet had told him that it was time. The red-head was nervous but tried his best to appear as calm as he could for Neji.

Hizashi turned his head towards the two. "What is it son?"

The young brunet took a deep breath to calm his nerves before he decided to talk. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a very long time. I apologize in beforehand for not telling you sooner." He then looked over at Gaara who nodded once, giving him a small smile. "You see, Gaara and I are not just friends. We are lovers."

The surprise was apparent on everyone's faces. Hizashi was the first to recover himself as he took a few steps towards his son. He looked stern but that expression quickly melted away as a smile took its place.

"I'm glad you told me, son. Though I would've liked if you'd told me about your preference earlier."

"I know. And I'm sorry for that."

"Why didn't you?" Hizashi looked curious.

"I wanted to tell you once I had found someone whom I am willing to spend the rest of my life with."

Gaara looked at Neji in slight shock. _Spend the rest of his life? With me?_ He was so stunned that he forgot to breathe for a moment but took in one when the brunet's father began to speak again.

"I see. Well, I am glad that you told me and I wanted to say that I don't care. I don't care whether you're gay, straight, bisexual, or whatever. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters to me."

The young brunet smiled at his father. "Thank you."

The older Hyuga returned the smile. "You're welcome." He then turned to the red-head who had witnessed their little conversation. "I welcome you to the Hyuga. Is that alright with you Nii-san?"

Gaara looked over at Hiashi who shrugged. "It's fine."

Relief washed over the red-head and he couldn't help but smile. He looked over at Neji who was smiling as well. They took hold of each other's hands before they set out to enjoy the rest of the evening.

An hour later Gaara was standing to the side speaking to Hinata when suddenly he heard a familiar voice. He turned only to see his father standing there.

"What are you doing here Gaara?" asked the man whom the red-head had once thought as his father.

"Well, I was talking to Hinata-san until you interrupted us." He glanced over to see the girl looking nervously at the two.

"What I meant is, what are you doing _here_? At Hyuga mansion. You have no business here."

"On the contrary I do. You see, I'm here with my boyfriend, meeting the family and all."

"Boyfriend?" his father looked both disgusted and surprised. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

"Since a couple of months ago. I met him at the nightclub I work at."

His father sneered. "I bet he's some low citizen who gets drunk all the time and can barely even afford his rent."

"On the contrary, he's not," said a voice from behind Sabaku. The man turned and was more than a little bit shocked to see Hyuga Neji standing there.

Gaara was relieved to see the other, but the battle wasn't won yet as he turned back to his father. "As you can see, my boyfriend isn't some "low citizen who gets drunk all the time and can barely even afford his rent." He's much more than that."

Sabaku glanced over at Gaara and then back at Neji. "No way. You're...?"

"Your son's boyfriend? Yes, I am."

Gaara watched in slight amusement as his father seemed to have trouble processing this new piece of information. He walked up to Neji and took hold of the other's hand.

"Your father must be disgusted with you." The red-head turned around to look back at his father. "To find out that his only son is gay."

"It's quite the opposite actually," said the brunet. "My father doesn't care about my preference and seems to like my choice in partner."

"You're kidding."

The brunet shook his head. "Not at all. If you don't believe me then go ask him yourself."

"I will," said Sabaku before he turned and left.

He would get the response he knew he was going to get from Hizashi and this little game would all end. It didn't take long to spot the man. He was standing talking to an older couple together with his brother. _This is perfect._

"Excuse me? Hizashi-san, Hiashi-sama, may I have a word?" he asked politely.

The two men turned around and the younger of the two said, "Of course." He told the couple that he would speak to them later before turning to Sabaku. "What is it Rasa-san?"

"I just ran into my son and he claimed that his so-called boyfriend is none other than your son, is this true?"

"It is."

Rasa stopped for a moment to stare at the man. "What?"

"It is true. My son and yours are going out. Is there a problem with that?"

Rasa looked at the younger of the twins as if he has never seen him before. He then turned his gaze to the older and said, "What about you Hiashi-sama? Are you okay with this?"

Hiashi walked up until he was standing beside his brother before speaking. "I'll be honest with you Rasa-san. I was shocked when Neji told us of his preference and that the man he had introduced me to earlier wasn't his friend but rather his lover. I can't say that I fully accept it, but I can clearly see that Neji is happy with your son, who is a decent man I might add."

Rasa had no words to describe what he was feeling at the moment. It was a strange mix of anger, betrayal and hatred. Why couldn't they see that it was wrong for two men to be together?

"Unbelievable," was the last word he said before he turned and stormed away.

The two brothers just looked at each other and shared a secret smile before they continued greeting their guests.

* * *

"Fuck, I'm tired," said Gaara as he ran his hands over his face.

"Such a vulgar word. It doesn't suit you Gaara," said a voice from above him.

The red-head removed his hands and looked into the face of his lover. "Shut up."

"I don't think I will. I think I'll keep talking to make you stay awake." Neji smiled which made the other glare at him.

The red-head then slowly sat up on the bed before he reached over to wrap his arms around the brunet's torso. He then pulled the other forward with all his strength, making the other lose his balance and land on top of the red-head.

Laughter escaped Neji's lips before he could stop it. "What are you-"

He didn't get to finish as a pair of lips pressed on his. The brunet didn't really like getting cut off but if it meant getting a kiss from his boyfriend, then he wasn't going to complain. He opened his mouth as he slowly moved his lips with the other's. His tongue poked out between his lips as he thrusted it into the other's mouth, tasting him. A moan ensued, but it was difficult to tell who had made the sound.

There had been very few times when the red-head let him kiss him like this. And all of the times he did, he had been the one to make the first move. Now however, it had been Gaara to make the first move and Neji was more than happy for that.

They continued to kiss for many minutes, not once pulling away as if they were afraid that if they did then it would come to an end. Their hands were wandering around their bodies, stroking their clothed forms, or running their fingers through the other's hair. The brunet eventually wanted the clothes gone, feeling that they were getting in the way. But at the same time he didn't want to scare the other off by making him think he wanted to do it. He just wanted to feel Gaara's naked body on his. That was all.

In the end the urge of tearing the clothes off became too much and he pulled away. He clearly saw that the red-head was none too happy about that but he quickly went to explain himself.

"I want to touch you Gaara. I want to feel your skin on mine," he said huskily, making the other visibly shudder. "Will you let me remove the clothing from your body?"

Gaara didn't need to think about it as he smirked and said, "I thought you'd never ask."


	15. Somewhere I Belong

**Warning: Lime ahead.**

* * *

Naruto was sitting in the living room of his parents' home. He had his phone in his hands and a smile on his face as he read the text that had been sent to him by his boyfriend. Yes, boyfriend. He still couldn't quite believe that he and Sasuke had gone from friends to boyfriends in just a matter of minutes. It was unbelievable.

His phone made a noise, interrupting him from his thoughts. He looked down to find another message from his raven. It read:

 _*Itachi is driving me insane._

 _Can't you please come back_

 _and save me from him?_

The blond couldn't help but chuckle before he typed in his reply.

 _*I'll be back in two days._

 _Just like I promised._

His phone made a noise just moments after he'd sent the message.

 _*You better. If you're_

 _not here in two days, I don't_

 _know what I'll do._

 _*Kill your brother?_

 _*You know, that idea doesn't_

 _sound so bad._

A laugh.

 _*I will not date a murder_

 _Sasuke._

 _*Fuck you._

The blond smiled.

 _*Maybe you should move out?_

 _Since Itachi mostly go to your_

 _parents' to talk about Kokoro_

 _and how the pregnancy is_

 _going._

There was a silence that lasted for five minutes before he received an answer from the other.

 _*Maybe. But where would I_

 _go? There's no place I really_

 _want to live._

 _*How about you come to live_

 _together with me?_

The blond had meant it as a joke but when he received the reply it had not been taken as such.

 _*I don't want to intrude on you_

 _and Gaara._

 _*Intrude? Are you suggesting_

 _Gaara and I are sleeping_

 _together?_

Naruto knew that this time the raven would get that it was a joke.

Soon enough the message came and the blond couldn't help but chuckle.

 _*If you are, I'm going to kill_

 _you myself._

 _*You seem so violent. Does_

 _this mean that you're a beast_

 _in bed?_

He had not planned to go that far but it was too late now.

The reply he got was interesting.

 _*You have no idea what kind_

 _of a person I am in bed._

 _I could be slow and torturous,_

 _rough and vicious, or patient_

 _and loving._

The blond almost moaned at that but managed to hold it in just in time. He was now glad that his parents' weren't home at the moment since anyone could've walked in to see him almost loosening it. Naruto changed locations to his bedroom before he gave his reply to that text.

 _*Stop it. You're turning me on._

It was not a lie. Far from it actually since he had begun to imagine Sasuke being all these things. He imagined the slow and torturous Sasuke to have tied his hands together to the bed. He was writhing beneath, begging for more but the raven wouldn't give him that. He was slow with every caress, every kiss, every lick, and every touch.

Naruto felt his cock strain against his pants. It had been quite a while since the last time he'd jerked off and wasn't against doing so now. He unbuttoned his pants and then reached in for his cock. A shudder ran through his body when his hand enclosed around it.

He then started imagining the raven being rough and vicious. He would probably drive the blond insane with the strange mix of pain and pleasure with his thrusts. He would also scratch his body, bite his skin that would leave marks for days and tug on his hair rather painfully.

Naruto moaned at that image. He began moving his hand faster around his growing erection.

The last image of the raven would probably be full of light touches and many soft kisses. He imagined this Sasuke to touch him as if he would break if he pressed to hard. Prepare him with his fingers while whispering words soothing words. He would slide in slowly and stop when the blond showed signs of pain. Sasuke would take his hand in his and kiss the back of it, murmuring soft words to him until he was sheathed inside him.

The orgasm hit him pretty hard. Naruto shuddered violently as he came onto his hand and stomach. He lied still for a moment for the aftershocks to wear off. He then sat up and reached for his phone that he had put to the side before he'd decided that he needed to jerk off. He checked if the raven had sent anymore messages and found one which made him groan.

 _*Maybe that was my plan all along._

* * *

"Hello Kurama, did you miss me?"

Naruto was standing in the barn in front of a male horse which the blond had gotten on his nineteenth birthday from Jiraiya. The stallion before him had a brown body, while its tail and mane were a much darker shade, looking almost black. The horse looked at him with its dark eyes before it pushed its head to the blond.

Said blond smiled. "Shall I take that as a yes?"

The stallion snorted but didn't move away as Naruto began petting him. He had missed Kurama when being at the city. His mother had told him that the stallion had been a bit inpatient when she attended to him. And it was mostly because the blond usually was there when she did do so. As he got older he alone was the one to attend to him. Though there had been times where his mother or father had joined in.

"I'm a terrible person, aren't I?" the blond said to himself. "I go off, leaving you here with mum and dad without saying goodbye." He leaned in as he gently rested his head on the creature's forehead. "Can you ever forgive me?"

He got a soft snort in response and the other took that as a good sign. He pulled away smiling before he got to work on the horse.

A few hours later Naruto found himself walking down the snowy road of the village. It was cold as usual but the blond was too happy to really feel it.

Suddenly the blond heard a noise that sounded an awful lot like someone running. He turned and smiled when he saw a big white blur coming towards him which as it came closer took the shape of a dog.

"Akamaru!" he exclaimed before he got down on his knees to greet the half Great Pyrenees and half Great Dane.

The white canine stopped in front of the man, his tongue was out and tail wagging away. He climbed up on the man's lap who laughed heartily as he ran fingers through his fur.

"Where's your owner? Where's Kiba?" asked Naruto after he was done petting the dog and said canine was done liking him. "Go find Kiba."

The white-furred canine obeyed immediately as he took to a sprint, making the blond have to run to keep up. It didn't take long for them to find the blonde's friend who was calling for his dog.

"Kiba!"

The brunet turned at the call of his name only to see a certain blond standing there. "Naruto?" His surprise quickly morphed into a smile as he walked forward and pulled his friend in a one-armed hug. "It's good to see you."

"You too," the blond said and then pulled away. "I was told that you work at the clinic helping your sister."

The brunet shrugged. "Yeah, it's no big deal though."

"Are you kidding me? It's a huge one."

He got a smile. "That's very nice of you to say. I would like to keep chatting with you, but let's go to a place that's warmer first."

"Sounds good."

"I was on my way to Shikamaru's. He wanted to talk to me about something but that can wait."

"Let's go then."

The two men and dog slowly made their way to their friend's house. They rang the doorbell and then waited for someone to open it. It didn't take long for the door to swing open to reveal the face of Shikamaru's mother.

"Naruto-kun." Her reaction was much the same as Kiba's had been. Surprised but also happy.

"Hello Yoshino-san," greeted the blond with a smile. "How are you?"

She returned the smile. "I'm well, thank you for asking. And you?"

"I'm great."

"If you guys are done with the formalities, I would like to go in. I'm freezing my butt off."

Yoshino threw a glare at Kiba while Naruto just rolled his eyes.

"Could we please come in?" asked the blond politely.

"Of course." Yoshino then opened the door a little wider before she walked in.

The two men went into the warmth of the house. After having taken their clothes off Yoshino directed them to the living room. The two followed behind her until they reached said room where Shikamaru was sitting, reading a book.

"Shikamaru?"

"Yes?"

"You have guests."

The dark-haired man sat up straighter but didn't turn to look their way. "Is it Kiba?"

"It's Kiba, Akamaru and someone else."

The blond heard an irritated sigh coming from his friend. "If it's another girl which he wants to introduce me to, I swear that I'm going to kill him."

"Good thing that it isn't," said Naruto.

Shikamaru froze. It took him a moment before he turned to look in the direction where his mother, two friends and dog were standing.

"Naruto?"

The blond nodded. "It's me Shikamaru. I've come to visit."

The dark-haired man didn't need any more words as he dropped the book on the table before he walked over and wrapped an arm around the blond. Naruto was a bit surprised, having not expected the other to hug him. Shikamaru never appeared as the kind of guy to outright show affection towards anyone. He was always a bit indifferent about everything. The blond glanced over at Kiba who seemed a bit surprised himself. When the hug ended the dark-haired man smiled which was another thing that was pretty rare.

When they had been young he used to smile a lot more often. But as he got older he seemed a bit more withdrawn about things. There had been a point when they'd been eighteen where a friend of the Nara had tragically died. Shikamaru had grieved for weeks. He had barely even eaten and was rarely seen outside the house. That was the first time anyone had seen him truly sad.

Naruto of course being the stubborn guy he was didn't stop visiting him. Every day he tried to get the dark-haired man to eat, to get up, and to go out. It eventually paid off after almost two months of struggle. He still didn't know whether Shikamaru was grateful or not for him butting in on what wasn't really any of his business.

"It's good to see you. You seem happy." The cool mask was back in place but there was something in the other's eyes that the blond knew all too well what it was.

It took him a moment but he eventually smiled back. "You also look good."

"Okay. If you are done being all buddy-buddy I would like to sit down and talk. I want to hear all about the city."

The blond turned to the brunet with a smirk. "Impatient much?"

"You've been gone for months. I'm curious," said Kiba simply before he walked over to the couch and sat down.

Naruto and Shikamaru both sighed before they went to sit down as well.

…

"So, let me get this straight," said Kiba. "You're working at a cafe as a waiter, you're living together with a guy named Gaara who is also gay, and you're now dating city boy?"

"His name is Sasuke," said Naruto automatically. For some reason the brunet still refused to call the raven by his name.

"Whatever." The brunet shrugged. "But seriously though, you two are dating?"

The blond nodded.

"Huh."

"Don't tell me you didn't see it coming," said Shikamaru.

Kiba turned his head to look at his other friend. "Oh, and you did?"

"Yes."

Naruto was a bit surprised. "How?" he asked. "I didn't even know I had feelings for the guy until a couple of months ago."

The dark-haired man shrugged. "Just a feeling I had."

The blond frowned at his friend but didn't ask anymore. They talked about some other things until the dark-haired man said something rather interesting.

"I've been talking with mother and father about moving to the city."

"Really?" asked the blond and brunet in unison.

"Yes."

"What made you come to that decision?" asked the brunet next.

The dark-haired man was quiet for a moment before he said, "I want to find a place where I belong."

The words hit the other two men pretty hard. Naruto had found a place where he belongs in the city. Together with his many new friends, the Uchiha and of course Sasuke. And Kiba had his family in the village which he refused to part from, and of course his job. He didn't feel like the city was anything for a free-spirited man like him. Even Choji had found his own path.

"Do you think that the place might be in the city?" asked the blond.

The other shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know. But what I do know is that I can't continue sitting around doing nothing. I..." he trailed off as he took a deep breath before continuing. "I promised Asuma-san that after I got my shit back together, I would find my path."

The blond understood as he nodded. "If it's what you think you need. Then I say go for it."

The dark-haired man smiled. "Thank you Naruto."

"Aw man!" exclaimed Kiba suddenly. "This means that I'm going to be the only one left here."

"Aw, are you saying you'll miss us?" said Naruto teasingly.

The brunet snorted. "Yeah, right."

The three boys shared a few laughs with each other until it was time for the blond to leave. He walked out of the house with a smile on his face as he slowly made his through the village and back home.


	16. Lovely Day

**Thanks for the reviews.**

* * *

It was quiet in the Uchiha residence. Sasuke sat on the couch of the living room reading a book. His parents were out shopping and his brother was with his wife, which was a huge relief. The last few days had been nothing but torture, hearing his brother repeat himself that he was going to be a father.

It was at Christmas when the two had announced it. His mother had been thrilled and father had been proud. Sasuke was also happy for him of course, but he didn't need a reminder of it every single time that he came to visit.

The raven himself wasn't feeling that good at the moment. His usually pale face was a little bit flushed and he felt hotter than usual. He had discarded the jacket he'd worn this morning and opened a few buttons of his shirt. He was trying to read but it got more and more difficult as his eyes were dropping. He hadn't told his parents about this because he thought that it had been nothing. Now though, he regretted not telling them.

Before Sasuke could fall asleep then and there the doorbell rang. The raven groaned, he didn't want to get up to answer it but he did so anyway. When he had swung the door open he was immediately enveloped into a tight embrace. He caught the scent of apples, sandalwood and something else that he only associated with one person.

"Naruto."

Said blond pulled back a short moment later. He looked at the raven for a moment before he leaned in and kissed him. Sasuke's heart fluttered as he moaned into the other's mouth. He reached over to pull the blond closer to him and in response he felt hands on his face. He felt the other pull away and he watched as the blond look at him for a moment before he spoke.

"You're hot."

The raven smiled lazily at him. "Thank you. Now can we go back to where we left off?" he leaned in to kiss the other but the blond pulled back.

He was shaking his head. "No. I mean that you're _hot_. Like you have a fever or something."

Sasuke sighed a little. "I may have gotten myself a cold. It's no big deal." He shrugged nonchalantly.

That seemed to have been the wrong thing to say because Naruto glared at him. "No big deal?" He took a step forward and the raven a step back. "So, it wasn't such a "big deal" when you fainted that time in the store?"

The raven didn't know what to say, so he didn't say anything. He felt the blond leave him and he quickly looked up to see if he was going. But the blond was just closing the front door that had been left open. He then locked it and took off his jacket before turning to the other.

"It's around lunchtime. Have you eaten anything yet?" he said.

Sasuke shook his head and then looked away. He felt so ashamed that he didn't want to look at the other in fear that he would see something there that he didn't want to see.

"Sasuke."

"What?" he asked softly.

"Can you please go to your room? I'll be there in a few."

The raven just nodded as he turned and left the hallway.

…

Sasuke was floating. It was wonderful, he felt at peace. He didn't know for how long it's been like this and he honestly didn't care. But then there was a disturbance. A force had come as if from out of nowhere and was trying to wake him up from his slumber.

"Go away…" he told the force tiredly.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," said a very familiar voice.

Sasuke's eyes shot up and he looked straight into the cerulean-blue eyes of his boyfriend.

"Good to see you awake. I hope you're hungry."

At that moment everything came back to the raven and he immediately avoided the other's eyes.

"Can you please sit up straight?" he heard the blond ask.

He did so and within just a minute he had a tray on his lap with a bowl of hot soup. He picked up the spoon and dipped it into the warm concoction before taking a small sip.

"It's good."

"I'm glad."

He glanced over at the blond but didn't outright look at him. He continued to quietly eat until his stomach was filled and the bowl was empty. The tray then disappeared from his view and the blond left.

Sasuke let out a soft sigh as he ran fingers through his hair. _What am I doing?_ _Why do I feel so bad about something that happened years ago? Is it guilt? Regret for not telling? Or something else?_

"I think it's just you being stubborn."

The raven looked up only to find the blond standing at the end of the bed. Had he said all of that out loud?

"I'm sorry."

The blond shrugged. "It's fine." He then walked over to the raven and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I'm used to it by now. But I would like it if you told me what's wrong."

The raven didn't need to think about it for long as he said, "I'll try."

Naruto smiled and reach over to run his hand through the other's hair. "I know you will. Now go to sleep, I'll be downstairs if you need me."

Sasuke said nothing as he settled back down in the bed and closed his eyes.

The next time he awoke it was hours later. He felt his forehead that seemed cooler now than what it had been. The raven slowly got up and shivered when the warm blanket fell away from his body. That didn't stop him from getting out of bed though as he walked over to his wardrobe and grabbed a hoodie.

He shortly left his room as he made his way down the stairs and to the living room. Something told him that the blond would be there. He was right when he saw said blond sitting in the couch with a notepad in one hand and pen in the other.

"What are you doing?" he asked as he walked up to the couch.

Naruto turned at the voice and then smiled when he saw who it was. "I'm writing up suggestions on where to have a date." He turned back to the notepad to write something. "How are you now?"

"Much better," said the raven before he sat down beside the other. "Why are you writing that?"

"Well…" Before the blond could answer Sasuke had snatched the notepad from his hands and begun reading.

He looked up at Naruto a few moments later with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a special reason on why you're writing this up?"

The blond nodded with a smile. "Mariko asked me to do some research for her. She met this really nice guy at school and was asked on a date but he gave her the choice on where they should go, or what to do."

The raven nodded in understanding before turning back to the written pages.

"I also thought of using these suggestions for something else."

Sasuke glanced up from the notepad. "Like what?"

Naruto's smile turned into a grin. "For you and me."

The raven's second eyebrow joined the first and he was silent for a moment as he processed the words. _For you and me._ "You mean that you would like to take me out on a date?"

"Yes."

The raven shouldn't be surprised by the blonde's straightforwardness, but he was. "Why?" he finally asked.

The blond shrugged. "Because I want to and we haven't done it yet."

"We've gone out plenty of times before."

The blond nodded. "Yes. As friends, but not as a couple."

"What's the difference?"

"The difference is that I can do this," he said and without warning he leaned in, putting his lips right on Sasuke's. He pulled away a few seconds later so that he could finish making his point, "Whenever I want to."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile a little. "So what was your plan?"

Naruto gave him a smirk.

Sakuranoki was filled with people. There wasn't a single table vacant by lunchtime. This didn't surprise Naruto however as he moved from table to table, taking orders and delivering them.

It was early February, just a few days till Valentine's Day. It had been rather hectic the past couple of days, which the blond didn't really mind. He loved working at the café as a waiter. Most would probably say that it was the worst job ever but the blond didn't think so. He loved talking to people, asking what they would like and then coming back with what they'd ordered.

At the end of the day Naruto felt a bit light-headed. His muscles ached from walking back and forth along with carrying plates around with different desserts and drinks. The blond was now standing at the front of the café, waiting for Mariko who was supposed to show up.

The list the blonde's been working on was done. He couldn't think of anything more to add. He smiled as he thought about the conversation he'd had with Sasuke about their date. They had yet to decide when to have their first.

A tap on the blonde's shoulder brought him away from his musings and he turned to look into a familiar shade of orange.

 _Well shit._

"Good evening," said the orange-eyed man with what could've been considered as a charming smile.

"Evening," returned the blond with a look of indifference, smile all gone. He remembered this guy. It was a bit difficult not to since he was a regular and the guy who had hit on him more than once.

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yes."

"Your girlfriend? Or perhaps Boyfriend?"

"Neither. A friend."

He saw the man smirk before he swung an arm over his shoulder and said, or rather whispered in his ear, "Why not ditch your friend and come have a drink with me?"

Naruto shrugged the arm off and took a step away as a way to respond.

"No? Come on now, there's no need to be scared. I don't bite."

"I don't believe you."

"I promise I don't. And I'll pay for the drinks. So, what do you say?"

"The answer is still no."

"Why?" the blond could hear slight frustration in the other's voice.

"Because I don't ditch my friends because some random person hits on me." He made sure to give the other an icy look when he was done speaking.

"Why not?" said the other and then regarded him. "You look like a person who gets around. How many people have you been with?"

The blond wanted to say that it wasn't any of his business but he thought that he might as well amuse the other. "Three."

"Three people?" the orange-eyed man seemed a bit surprised. "I'm honestly surprised. I would've guessed you'd been with more." He was silent for a moment but of course it didn't last long. "Were the three women or men?"

The blond smirked slightly. "One was a woman and the other two men."

He nodded. "Gay or bisexual?"

"Gay."

Another nod. "Have you ever done it?" He didn't need to turn to know he was smirking.

"Of course," he said with ease.

"How young were you?"

"Seventeen."

The smirk turned to a grin. "I was sixteen."

"So? It's not a competition."

The orange-eyed man chuckled. "True." There was another silence, one which the blond was more than happy to stand in. "What's your name?"

"My name is of no concern to you."

The man pouted. "And I thought we were getting along."

"Well, you thought wrong."

The orange-eyed man sighed and stepped away. "Alright. I'll leave you alone for now." And with that he left.

Naruto glanced over at the other's returning back before letting out a breath of relief. "Finally."

Mariko showed up just a few minutes later after the jerk had gone. The blond had no doubt that it wasn't the last time he would see the guy.

It was Valentine's Day. The sky was filled with grey clouds, rarely letting the sun out from beneath them. The air meanwhile was cold and crisp. Some snow still remained but most of the whiteness had gone because of the sudden change in the weather the last two days.

Naruto was at Sakuranoki working as usual. The orange-eyed man was sitting by a table near the window. He had yet to approach him since that time outside the café which suited the blond just fine. The café was now filled with couples that ranged from teenagers to adults. The blond felt a tug at his heart when he saw how happy everyone seemed to be. He wished Sasuke were here.

"Naruto? Can you help me carry this?"

The blond turned and looked at Kaede. He smiled. "Of course."

The day went on like usual with a few exceptions. A man had earlier told the manager that it was his girlfriend's birthday and so to celebrate it they had made a cake and carried it out while singing the 'Happy Birthday' song. The girlfriend had been so happy she had cried tears of joy. There also had been a lesbian couple that had been sitting just a few feet away from the entrance where one had gotten down on their knees and proposed. That had been one hell of a sight.

Now it was nearing the time for closing. The blond was just cleaning tables when the door opened and someone stepped in.

"Naruto."

Said blond looked up in surprise. No, it couldn't be. He turned around and found Sasuke standing there with a smile on his face. It didn't take long for Naruto to move as he walked up to greet the other. The raven didn't move away from his spot, instead he welcomed the warmth of the other along with the lips that pressed gently on his.

Naruto pulled away a moment later. "What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until June."

"I asked to take a few days off and they let me. I wanted to see you."

The blond smiled. "Did you miss me?"

"What do you think?" he said with a smile of his own.

Naruto reached up to put a hand on the other's cheek. "I think you did."

"Then you're correct." They shared a smile with each other but it was short-lived when somebody interrupted them.

"You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend."

The couple looked to the left where the orange-eyed man was standing. Naruto looked around to see if anyone else was around but found that the café was empty with the exception of Kaede and Konohamaru who were standing by the cashier.

"You never asked," said the blond after he was done scanning the place.

The orange-eyed man didn't look angry, disappointed, or even sorry. He just had the same smile on his face that he'd had last time they spoke.

"Now I can see why you refused me," he said as he raked his eyes over the raven and then turned his gaze back on the blond. "I won't go after you anymore. See ya around Blondie." And with that he left the cafe.

"Who was that?" asked Sasuke after a moment's of silence.

"I'll tell you later," promised Naruto.

The two men shortly left Sakuranoki as they slowly made their way to a restaurant. After they'd settled down on the chairs and ordered the raven asked about the guy. The blond did a short recap on what he'd told Gaara and at the end of it the raven was shaking his head.

"What an idiot. He should've given up after you turned him down the first time. Stubborn fool." The raven took a sip of the wine he'd ordered.

He thought he would get a response from the blond but found only silence so he looked up. Naruto was smiling, almost grinning at him. His elbows were resting on the wooden surface and jaw on his joined hands.

"What?" he asked after a moment's of silence.

"No. I just realized we are on a date," he said before picking up the glass with his wine. "Our very first and on Valentine's Day to top it off." He took a sip and the raven watched his Adam's apple slightly bob.

He gave a smirk. "I guess I have good timing then."

The blond chuckled. "Yes. You do."

Their food shortly arrived after that statement and conversation began to pick up. The blond told the raven what he'd been doing the past few days and the other did the same. There wasn't much to say so conversation died pretty quickly. The blond though had a question he wanted to ask and now would be a good time to do it.

"I'm planning on spending the summer at my parents and I was wondering if you'd like to come with me?"

He was first met with silence. Then a smile slowly formed on the raven's face. "I would love to."

The blond smiled back before he picked up his glass to finish the wine.

By the time they were done with dinner both were a bit light-headed so they decided to take a walk to clear their heads. The sky had darkened considerably and air was much colder now than what it had been before. Naruto rubbed his gloved hands together in an attempt to keep warm. Sasuke must've noticed the action because he asked if he was cold.

"A little," he said and wrapped his arms around his middle.

For a moment he was walking beside the other. In the next though an arm was slung over his shoulders and a warm body pressed against his. He glanced over his shoulder where he saw Sasuke's pale face. His onyx eyes were glinting with something warm in them.

"Thank you," he said, his voice no louder than a whisper.

"You're welcome."

They walked until they came to a park where couples were gathered. Some were looking up at the starry sky, others were just standing close to each other, trying to keep themselves warm. Most were straight couples with the exception of a few same sex ones that were standing a bit further away from the rest.

Naruto let out a content sigh as he leaned into Sasuke. The arm around his shoulders tightened before he felt a pair of lips press onto his temple. He turned around and reached over to cup the other's cheek before he leaned in for a kiss. The arm around his shoulders moved down to his waist in response and a gloved hand came to rest on his cheek. They pulled away a minute later to just stare into each other's eyes. The blond smiled and rested his forehead against the raven's.

"Happy Valentine's day," he whispered.

An identical smile crept over the other's face. "Happy Valentine's day."

* * *

 **Sakuranoki - Cherry Tree**


	17. This Is It

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Sexual stuff ahead.**

* * *

The sun was just waking up from its slumber. Its strong light radiated over landscapes and further away to the city. The light eventually reached a house where it shone through a window and onto the bed where two people lied curled up. The blanket that had previously covered their bodies was lying at the foot of the bed now.

Naruto was the first to awaken as he slowly stretched his arms. He opened his eyes only to shut them again because of the brightness of the room. It took him a moment before his eyes adjusted to the light and that's when he decided to move only to realize that he was unable to do so. He looked down at the pale arms that were wrapped tightly around his waist. The blond couldn't help but smile as he ran a hand over one of the arms.

"What's the time?" asked a groggy voice from behind him.

The blond looked over to the nightstand where his boyfriend's digital watch rested. "It's soon six."

"Too early." The arms around the other tightened momentarily before something soft pressed against his right shoulder.

"Could you please let me go?" asked Naruto after a moment.

"Why?" asked the other. The blond could feel his boyfriend's hot breath against his skin.

"Because I want to get up."

"Why? It's fucking early."

 _Thank you for establishing the obvious,_ he thought with a roll of his eyes. "I need to make a call. Now let go."

"Don't wanna."

The blond sighed. "You don't have to get up just because I do. You can continue sleeping," he tried to reason. His only response was the other pulling him in tighter until he not only had his arms around him but also his legs tangled with his own.

"Why do you have to be so difficult?" he muttered.

"Because I'm not a morning person."

Naruto lied unmoving for a moment until he asked the other to loosen his grip.

"You'll just run away."

"I promise I won't," said the blond calmly.

He waited for the other to loosen his grip before he turned around so he was facing his boyfriend. The onyx eyes of the raven were half opened and weary. Suspicion shone in them and he couldn't help but smile before leaning in to give the other a kiss. The response was immediate as the raven opened his mouth to deepen the kiss. Naruto ran his tongue over Sasuke's lips and then trust it into his mouth. The sounds of breathing and moaning slowly began to fill the room as they continued kissing.

Their little session quickly escalated as the raven began to run his fingers up and down the blonde's body. He felt the smoothness of the skin and the strength of his muscles. Sasuke pulled away a moment later to lean in and lay kisses on the other's jaw, collarbone and further down his chest. Naruto meanwhile ran his fingers through the raven locks, over the shoulders where the tattoo was and down the pale back. It was hot and getting hotter by the minute. He didn't hold back any of the sounds he was making, every grunt, every moan, and every pant all went past his lips. It trickled out like water every time the raven touched or licked him just the right way.

Sasuke glanced up to see what kind of face the blond was making. He was satisfied when he saw the unfocused blue eyes, labored breathing and sweat running down his forehead. He gave a smirk before he went back to kissing and licking the other's chest. It didn't take long before the raven decided to go further down. Pale hands traveled down lower and lower until they reached their destination.

Naruto gasped in both shock and excitement when Sasuke first touched him. The soft pair of pants and underwear he'd been wearing was gone in an instant, leaving him cold and vulnerable at the hands of the raven. He watched as Sasuke stroked his growing erection before leaning down and enveloping his lips over it. Naruto had to bite his lip to stifle his cry of pleasure. It might be early and no one was up yet, but anyone with enough sense would come rushing in if they heard a cry of what could be fear. He didn't want Fugaku or Mikoto to walk in on him and Sasuke in the middle of this. He really wish that they'd locked the door now.

The raven brought the blond back from his thoughts with a hard suck. His body was trembling and sweat was trickling down all the way to his neck. Sasuke's mouth was so hot and it felt so good. It didn't take long until he felt close to climax. Naruto reached over and put his hand on the other's shoulder, to gain his attention. Onyx eyes glanced up and locked onto his and it took all of his willpower not to ejaculate then.

"I'm coming," was all he said. His breath was a bit rough mostly because he was trying very hard not to come.

The raven's response was to give his lover's hardness one last suck before he switched his mouth with his hand. It only took three strokes before the blond was coming. He had his lips parted in a silent scream as semen spurted out of the tip of his cock and onto his abdomen and the pale hand that was still holding him. When the aftershocks had worn off Naruto reached for his lover and brought his face up close to his. He kissed him deeply for a while before one of his hands traveled down to Sasuke's hard on. He slipped his hand in the raven's pants until he felt something hot and wet. The blond stroked the other's cock a few times, running his thumb over the tip, smearing the pre-come. He felt the raven tremble and moan in pleasure as he continued.

All of a sudden Sasuke pulled away from his kiss only to utter out the words, "C – Coming."

Naruto leaned in to kiss the other's neck, running his tongue down the pale throat as he continued to stroke him. It didn't take long for the raven to come undone as he let out a stretched out moan as semen coated the blonde's hand. The raven collapsed on top of said blond, feeling worn out and lightheaded. Naruto let him be for a few minutes but had to move before Sasuke decided to go back to sleep.

"Shower?" he asked.

He at first got no response but that was to be expected. Eventually the raven gave an answer. It was soft and laced with fatigue.

"Sounds good."

…

After the boys had showered and dressed they went downstairs. Sasuke wasn't happy at all but Naruto managed to get him to come out of his sulky mood as he made them breakfast.

"You're up early," said a surprised voice from the doorway.

The two boys looked up from their meal and at Mikoto. The raven just grunted while the blond smiled at the woman.

"Good morning," said the blond.

"Good morning," said the black-haired woman back. She then looked at her son who seemed a bit sulky. "What's wrong sweetie?"

Sasuke sighed before he looked up from his food. "Who the hell gets up at six in the morning?"

The question wasn't directed at her but at the only other person in the room.

"People who needs to wake up early for work or school," said the blond simply before he took a sip of his coffee.

The raven said nothing, mostly because the other was right. Mikoto decided to break the slightly tense silence as she smiled at Naruto. "You're just like Kushina. She was an early riser too, still is I hear."

The blond nodded. "She gets up really early. At three or four to go work in the barn." He chuckled at a thought that popped up in his head. "Drives dad crazy sometimes."

"I can imagine. We had sleepovers from time to time and every day, no matter if it was a weekend or not she would get up before six. It didn't bother me all that much since I'm a pretty early riser myself."

The blond smiled. "That's nice."

There was a short comfortable silence until Sasuke asked, "When did you become an early riser? I seem to remember a time when you refused to wake up in the mornings."

"Yeah, I did. I developed it over time. It's funny how you can go from being almost as lazy as Shikamaru to being like mum. Speaking of Shikamaru, he's moving into an apartment not too far away from here and asked me if I could help him move some of his stuff."

"Let me guess, you want me to come along and help?"

The blond shrugged. "Only if you want to. I'm not going to force you."

The raven thought about it. Why not? He had nothing else to do today. "Alright. I'll help you."

The blond smiled. "Great."

A few hours later the two were helping carrying furniture into their mutual friend's new home. He lived at the second floor and the elevator was currently out of function so they had to carry them up the stairs. Thankfully it was just the second floor. The blond would've refused to help if it had been anything higher than floor three. He might go to the gym and workout but he had his limits.

The raven was none too happy about the elevator being out of function but he managed to keep his mouth shut for most of the time. He would only complain if something ached or hurt and that's when they would take a small break before going at it again.

It was a huge relief when the last box was up and the men could finally relax. Naruto and Sasuke collapsed in the couch while Shikamaru sat down in the armchair opposite the two. Once they had enough oxygen in their lungs to be able to speak the dark-haired man was the first to utter out any words.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me. I'm really grateful."

Naruto waved a hand, as if dismissing the gratitude. "It was nothing. We're happy we could help. Isn't that right Sasuke?"

Sasuke opened his eyes that he had closed earlier and looked at the blond briefly. "Sure." The word was dragged out so that it sounded like the raven didn't care much.

The dark-haired man didn't mind though, understanding that it must've been tiresome since his own body was drained and muscles ached. He got up a minute later and walked towards the kitchen.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked when he reached the doorway.

"Sounds good," said the two men in unison.

Shikamaru hid a smile before disappearing into the kitchen in search of cups, tea bags and a boiler. He came back out a few minutes later holding a wooden tray with the cups only to find the two men sitting closer to each other. They were practically embracing one another with the blonde's arm slung over the other's shoulders and the raven resting his head on the other's chest. They both looked so content in each other's arms. The dark-haired man had never seen either looking so peaceful before. It made him feel happy inside.

He eventually made his way over to the armchair as he set down the tray on the wooden coffee table that had been brought in before. He picked up his cup and blew at the top a few times before taking a small sip. He then opened his lips to start a conversation with the couple before him. As much as he loved silence, he wanted to know how everything was.

The three talked for over an hour. Naruto telling him a little more about his job and Sasuke about studying to become an architect. They shared the story of how they got together. Told him of the first time the blond met Ino and Sakura. They left out only minor things about their lives that the dark-haired man would probably be fine with not knowing.

Once they were done with their tea the couple decided to leave. Shikamaru once again thanked them for their help before they were out of the apartment and out into the cool February air.

"Where to now?" asked Sasuke.

Naruto shrugged. "Don't know. Want to walk around the city for a bit?"

"Sure," the raven said with a small smile before he took hold of the blonde's hand.

* * *

Pale blue eyes scanned the different jewelry that were displayed behind a layer of glass. She was looking for something sparkly but simple that would catch someone's eye. She hoped that those eyes were onyx ones. Beautiful, dark and mysterious.

She was so caught up in her search that she didn't notice two men walk into the shop and to the front desk, just a couple of feet away from where she was standing. She did notice however when one of the men spoke and recognized the voice.

"Couple rings? Really? You're sappier than my mother is."

The woman stopped in surprise before she slowly turned around only to see the one and only Uchiha Sasuke standing there. He was as handsome as ever with his creamy-white skin, onyx eyes and dark hair. She was just about to walk up to him when she noticed he was not alone. Her entire body bristled and her smile turned into a sneer. It was the blond known as Naruto.

She wondered what the two were doing here but instead of walking up to ask she decided to turn around and pretend to browse as she listened in on their conversation.

"What's wrong with couple rings?" asked the blond. "They are nice jewelry and easy to wear. Or would you prefer we got something else that matches?"

There was a small pause before the raven asked, "What brought this on?"

"Nothing really. I just wanted be romantic I guess."

A laugh. "You're plenty romantic."

"So, what do you say?"

"You never give up, do you?"

The woman didn't hear a response but she did hear the raven's soft sigh.

"Alright. But I'm picking. I don't trust your taste."

"Since when have I ever had bad taste?" asked the blond sounding a bit offended.

"Never. I'm just teasing you."

"Bastard."

The two men were silent now with only a few snippets of conversation that the woman didn't care much for. She was in too great of a shock to hear anything anyway. It almost sounded as if the two were dating. But that couldn't be. Sasuke would never date someone like Naruto. It was preposterous. But why would they else speak the words that they had spoken. Mere friends don't talk about couple rings, did they? Especially when the blond had mentioned getting _matching_ ones. Also, the raven had said the other was "plenty romantic" as if he knew it because he's seen it first hand.

 _Well,_ thought the woman. _If I want answers I'll have to go there and ask the questions._

She hesitated for only a moment before she walked over to the men. Their eyes seemed to be glued at the section of gold and silver bands so neither noticed they had company. The woman cleared her throat to catch their attention. She didn't speak until both their eyes were on her.

She gave her best friendly smile as she said, "What a coincidence to meet you here Sasuke-kun."

"Ino."

The dislike in the other's eyes was as clear as day. She was a bit taken aback by the look but it didn't make her completely back down. She straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath before she carried on conversation as if nothing was wrong.

"What brings you here?"

"I'm here with my boyfriend shopping, as you can probably see for yourself."

Ino stopped for a moment. She thought she's heard him wrong. "I'm sorry?"

Before Sasuke could respond Naruto stepped in. "He said he's here shopping together with me. His boyfriend."

Hearing the exact words were more painful than listening in on their previous conversation where it was hinted they were dating. Ino didn't know what to say for several moments. She opened her mouth only to close it several times before she finally managed to find her voice. She could've asked why or even how but the first question that came out were neither.

"What do you see in him?"

The question was directed at Sasuke. The raven looked at the blond who was looking right back at him. He smiled. That was another thing that surprised Ino. The raven rarely smiled. He was more withdrawn than anything. Indifferent and giving you the cold shoulder or glare every once in a while. But he never actually smiled. At least, not like this. She has seen him smile around his brother but that was only briefly. This kind of smile right here was one filled with affection. And that same affection was reflected in the blonde's blue eyes.

"I see an honest man." Sasuke's voice actually startled Ino. She had been in such deep thought that she had momentarily forgotten where she was and who she was standing in front of. "I see a stubborn but also strong man. Someone I can rely on and won't judge me. Someone I can tell all my secrets to. Someone I can share both happy and sad moments with. That's what I see."

"Now who is the romantic one here?" asked Naruto with a cheeky smile.

"Shut up," there was no real bite to Sasuke's words as he continued to smile.

Ino then finally understood that she had no chance. It hurt to say the least. But she wasn't as blind as most thought she was. It was obvious to her that the raven loved the blond. And if the blond made him happy, then it made her happy.

She shortly left after a few minutes of silence. As she walked down the street, on her way home, warm tears began to fall down her cheeks. This was it. She decided she would no longer go after Sasuke or Itachi.


	18. That's Our Stars

**Thanks for the reviews.**

 **Warning: Sexual stuff ahead.**

* * *

Months passed by and it wasn't long until June was here. Just as they had planned Naruto and Sasuke were going to Minato and Kushina's to stay there a couple of weeks. They were currently sitting on the bus the blond usually took whenever he was going from or to his parents.

The raven was currently sleeping with his head resting on the other's shoulder. The blond was looking out the window as big buildings and people became great fields and blue sky.

They weren't the only people occupying the bus at the moment. An older couple with their two children and a group of teenage girls also sat there. The older couple paid the two no mind but their children were very curious why two men were sitting so close to each other and had asked their parents questions about it. The teenage girls meanwhile were mostly too busy talking to one another, although there was one of them who was looking at the two. Or rather at the blond.

Said blond was unknown to the girl's stare as he continued looking out the window. It wasn't until he felt a tap on his shoulder that he noticed her.

"Yes?" he asked as he studied her. The girl before him had long dark brown hair that was tied up in a high ponytail and olive-green eyes. She wore a pair of blue jeans that were ripped at the knees and a dark green t-shirt. Something about this girl reminded the blond of someone but he couldn't quite pinpoint who.

"Are you Namikaze Naruto?" she asked. Her voice was only vaguely familiar to him.

"Yes. I am," said the blond.

She seemed pleased to hear this because she smiled. "I knew it was you." She sat down and got comfortable in her new seat before she continued. "I didn't believe Hanako when she told me she saw you working at a café. Sakuranoki I believe it's called."

At the mention of the name _Hanako_ Naruto's confusion instantly lifted. "I remember you. You're Chika. Hanako's younger sister."

Her smile brightened. "I'm glad you remember me."

The blond returned the smile. "How is the family?"

"They're good. Mom and dad are on vacation right now. Hanako's boyfriend proposed to her on Valentine's day. They will be getting married this July."

"That's nice," he said sincerely. "What about you?"

"I'm in high school aiming to become a baker."

"I see your dream hasn't changed."

Chika laughed. "What about you? What have you been doing?"

"A little this and that. Got a job as a waiter, made friends and now I'm currently going to my parents."

"I think you left something out."

"Oh?" The blond asked, feigning confusion when he knew perfectly well what he had left out.

"Unless my eyes are playing tricks on me there's a very handsome man who is sitting beside you," she said and nodded towards the raven. "Boyfriend?"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. Chika had always been very straightforward. "Yes."

"That's good."

Chika then got a call from the other girls and went to join them on whatever topic they were talking about. The blond watched the girl for a moment before he turned away and continued looking out the window.

* * *

"Welcome boys!" exclaimed an excited Kushina before she wrapped the two men in a tight hug.

The two returned it before grabbing their suitcases as they walked in. Sasuke immediately got hit with nostalgia as he walked into the very familiar living room where Minato currently sat with a book in his hand. When the older blond noticed him he shut the book and got up for a handshake.

"It's good to see you Sasuke."

"You too Minato-san."

The two exchanged pleasantries until they were interrupted by Naruto. After father and son had greeted each other the blond and raven took their luggage upstairs. They walked into the blonde's room that was looking the same as it had ten years ago. With its sky blue walls and painted white clouds. It was as beautiful as ever.

The blond walked over to the bed and sat down on it. "Will you come and join me?" he asked.

The raven didn't hesitate as he walked over and sat down beside his boyfriend. The other's arm automatically wrapped around his shoulders to pull him in close. The raven relaxed in the other's embrace as he looked around the room.

They stayed like that for a while until Sasuke decided to ask something. "Who was that girl on the bus?"

Naruto seemed surprised. "I thought you were sleeping."

"It's a little bit difficult to sleep when two people are talking," said the raven flatly. "But really, who was she? An old friend of yours?"

"Not quite. Her name is Matsunomi Chika. I used to date her older sister."

"I remember you telling me about that. But in your letters you called her 'Hana' not 'Hanako.'" The raven raised an eyebrow as he looked at the blond.

The other chuckled. "I began to call her Hana as a joke but she took it as a nickname and later it sort of stuck."

The raven was quiet for a moment as he pondered over this. "Please don't give me a nickname."

"Are you sure you wouldn't want one?" he asked with a smile. "It doesn't have to be a shortening of your name. It could be anything." The last four words was said huskily, close to the raven's ear.

"I'm sure," said Sasuke flatly.

Naruto pouted. "You're no fun."

"I'm lots of fun. Just not in the way you may think."

That earned him a smirk. "Oh really? Then you wouldn't mind showing me?"

The raven gave a smirk of his own before he captured the other's lips in a chaste kiss.

* * *

A few days later the two men found themselves lying on a blanket by the lake. There hadn't been a single day which had been spent just relaxing so they were going to make the most of it.

The only sounds that they could hear were the light buzzing of insects and rustle of the many tree branches. Naruto and Sasuke had been lying beside each other for a good half hour. The sun was warm with just a bit of wind and the air fresh.

The blond suddenly sat up as he looked over the lake. An idea popped into his head which made him grin mischievously. He slowly got up and as silent as he could went into the water. He cupped his hands and put them in the water to fill his palms. The blond slowly moved his hands up as he tried his best not to let any of the water escape. He took one last look at the still sleeping raven before he threw the water at them.

Naruto watched in satisfaction as Sasuke shot up with a yelp. Onyx eyes then came to glare at him and it didn't take long until he was joined by the other.

They splashed each other for a long time and then wrestled until their clothes were soaked. At one point the blond ended up half sitting and half lying in the water with his boyfriend sitting on top of him. The two locked eyes with each other before they burst out laughing.

"What are we doing?" asked Sasuke.

"I don't know. But it was fun," said Naruto.

"Yeah, it was." The raven was about to get up but a hand on his wrist stopped him. Before he could ask the reason for stopping him two arms enveloped his middle. "What?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing," said the blond as he pulled away and looked up at the other. "I just felt like hugging you."

The raven smiled before leaning in to kiss the other. The kiss started out slow but quickly became more passionate. Their breathing became erratic and bodies warm as they began to touch each other. It started out slow, just like the kiss. Hands and fingers travelled over their damp bodies, gliding over the skin, stroking. Their hands soon grew more frantic as they travelled beneath their soaked clothing. They stroked, teased and scratched.

Naruto thrust his hips up into Sasuke who moaned. The two eventually began to thrust together, getting lost in pleasure of the friction their bodies were creating. The water around them splashed and formed small waves as they continued to move.

Too soon it ended as their orgasm hit, surprising both as they moaned together loudly. They held each other as the aftershocks wore off. After a few moments of near silence they pulled away from each other. Blue met onyx. They smiled and shared another kiss before getting out of the lake and going back to the blonde's parents' house.

* * *

"Easy Kurama! Easy," said Naruto as he sat at the back of the brown stallion. He held the reins tightly in his hands as he waited for the horse to calm itself.

He had decided a week ago that he wanted to take Sasuke riding which the raven had been reluctant to agree on doing since he's never ridden a horse before. Of course he'd been at the back of one when he and Itachi were younger but he hasn't since. Now that he was standing here, just a few feet away from his boyfriend, and the seemingly untamable beast, he was even more hesitant than before.

Eventually Kurama calmed as he began listening to his rider. Naruto directed him to walk around the field a few time before he slid off and petted the horse.

"See? That wasn't so bad." The blond then turned to his boyfriend and gestured for him to come.

The raven didn't move a muscle. "No way. If I go there something bad is going to happen."

The blond rolled his eyes. "Nothing's going to happen. Come on." He stretched his hand out to the other.

Sasuke was hesitant but eventually he moved and took hold of Naruto's hand. The blond gestured for him to greet the horse which the raven was hesitant to do. But when his palm touched the muzzle of the stallion as he looked into the animal's eyes his worries seemed to just wash away. The blond had at some point left them to get an apple which Kurama was more than happy to devour.

After the snack the blond got up on the horse and then directed the raven to do the same. It didn't take more than two minutes before both were sitting on the back of the brown stallion. Kurama didn't make much of a fuss as they rode around the field and then took to a sprint.

Sasuke let out a yelp of surprise as he flung his arms around his boyfriend's middle, holding on tight. It took a while for him to relax as they continued ridding and before he knew it, it was over. The two men slid off the saddle before they began leading the horse back into the barn.

"What did you think?" asked Naruto as they were walking from the barn.

Sasuke just smiled. "It was fun."

He got a smile in return. "Good."

…

Later that same day Naruto, Sasuke, Minato and Kushina went out to have dinner. The sun had set and sky was filled with small, glimmering silver stars. They talked about nothing and everything over dinner. When they finished they cleaned off the table, washed the dishes and then took out blankets to sit on outside.

The four sat there, looking up at the sky in silence. The blond suddenly turned to the raven who was sitting beside him. He looked absolutely gorgeous in the moonlight as the stars were reflecting in his dark eyes. The blond looked back at the sky and then found something which made him grin. He nudged the other who looked at him questioningly.

"What is it?" asked Sasuke in a near whisper.

Naruto simply pointed at the starry sky before he said, "That's our stars."

The raven looked back at the sky and he let a smile slip when he found the small twinkling lights. _Yes, that's our stars._

The End

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading Pick A Star. I hope you enjoyed it, I know I had a wonderful time writing it. Pick A Star is the longest story I've ever writter so far, fanfic or otherwise. I can't promise that the next will be as long, it might be shorter but I hope that you'll read it if you find it interesting enough. Thank you for sticking around and I'll see you on the next one.**


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